Plate Tectonics

Front

What did most people believe about the Earth's continents before the theory of plate tectonics?

Back

Most people believed that the Earth's continents stayed in place.

Front

How fast do tectonic plates move?

Back

Tectonic plates move as fast as your fingernails grow.

Front

What is a tectonic plate?

Back

A tectonic plate is a giant piece of the Earth's lithosphere that moves.

Front

What is most common at transform plate boundaries?

Back

Earthquakes are most common at transform plate boundaries.

Front

What is the area where two plates move away from each other called?

Back

The area is called a divergent plate boundary.

Front

What are the three types of plate boundaries?

Back

The three types of plate boundaries are divergent, convergent, and transform.

Front

What occurs at convergent plate boundaries?

Back

At convergent plate boundaries, plates move towards each other, often causing mountains or earthquakes.

Front

What is the lithosphere?

Back

The lithosphere is the rigid outer layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.

Front

What is a mid-ocean ridge?

Back

A mid-ocean ridge is an underwater mountain range formed by tectonic plates moving apart.

Front

What is subduction?

Back

Subduction is the process where one tectonic plate moves under another plate and sinks into the mantle.