Plate Tectonics and Related Concepts

Pangaea

• A modern continent in the Pacific Ocean.

• The ancient supercontinent that included all of Earth’s landmasses.

• A type of dinosaur that lived millions of years ago.

• A geological process that forms mountains.

Transform Boundary

• A plate boundary where plates collide, causing volcanic activity.

• A plate boundary where plates move apart, creating new crust.

• A plate boundary where plates slide past each other, often causing earthquakes.

• A plate boundary that is stationary and does not move.

Paleomagnetism

• The record of Earth’s magnetic field in rocks, used as evidence for sea-floor spreading.

• A method for dating rocks based on their mineral composition.

• The study of ancient climates through sediment analysis.

• The process of plate tectonics causing earthquakes.

Sea-Floor Spreading

• The process where magma rises from the mantle at mid-ocean ridges, creating new crust.

• The movement of tectonic plates causing earthquakes.

• The erosion of oceanic crust by wave action.

• The accumulation of sediments in ocean basins.

Plate Tectonics

• The theory that Earth’s lithosphere is broken into plates that move slowly over the asthenosphere.

• A concept that explains the formation of mountains due to volcanic activity.

• The idea that continents are fixed and do not move over time.

• A theory that describes the Earth's core as a solid mass.

Subduction Zone

• A region where one plate sinks beneath another into the mantle, destroying old crust.

• A place where tectonic plates slide past each other without significant vertical movement.

• An area where two tectonic plates collide and create mountains.

• A zone where tectonic plates are moving apart, leading to the formation of new crust.

Mid-Ocean Ridge

• An underwater mountain chain where new ocean floor is formed through sea-floor spreading.

• A type of ocean current that circulates warm water around the globe.

• A geological formation that occurs at the bottom of the ocean where tectonic plates collide.

• A shallow area of the ocean where sunlight penetrates and supports marine life.

Lithosphere

• The rigid outer layer of Earth, made of the crust and the uppermost mantle.

• The layer of Earth that is liquid and flows beneath the crust.

• The innermost layer of Earth, composed mainly of iron and nickel.

• The gaseous layer surrounding the Earth, primarily made of nitrogen and oxygen.

Convection Currents

• Circular currents in the mantle caused by heat, driving plate movement.

• Static forces that hold tectonic plates in place.

• Random movements of the Earth's crust due to seismic activity.

• Ocean currents that affect weather patterns.

Rift Valley

• A deep valley formed at divergent boundaries on land.

• A type of valley formed by glacial activity.

• A valley created by the erosion of rivers over time.

• A valley that forms at convergent boundaries.