ch-1-plate-tectonics

Revision

What is Plate Tectonics?

The theory explaining the movement of the Earth's lithosphere which is divided into tectonic plates.

What are Endogenic forces?

Internal forces within the Earth that create earthquakes, volcanoes, fold mountains, and new rocks.

What are Exogenic forces?

External forces like wind, rivers, and weathering that reshape the Earth's landscape.

What is the Lithosphere?

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

What is the Asthenosphere?

The semi-fluid layer beneath the lithosphere that allows tectonic plates to move.

What are Convection currents?

The circular movements of magma in the Earth’s mantle caused by heat from the core.

What are Constructive plate boundaries?

Locations where tectonic plates are moving apart, leading to the formation of new oceanic crust.

What are Destructive plate boundaries?

Locations where tectonic plates collide, resulting in the destruction of crust and the creation of geological features.

What are Transform plate boundaries?

Locations where tectonic plates slide past each other, often causing earthquakes.

What is Subduction?

The process by which one tectonic plate moves under another and sinks into the mantle.

What are Hot Spots?

Volcanoes that occur away from plate boundaries, caused by magma rising from deep within the Earth.

What are Rift Valleys?

Gaps formed when tectonic plates pull apart, often leading to volcanic activity.

What are Fold Mountains?

Mountains formed through the folding of Earth's crust due to tectonic forces.

What are Seismic records?

Data collected from earthquake waves used to study the structure of the Earth.

What is Oceanic crust?

The thinner, denser part of the Earth's crust that underlies the oceans.

What is Continental crust?

The thicker, less dense part of the Earth's crust that forms the continents.

What is a Mid-ocean ridge?

An underwater ridge formed by plate tectonics where new ocean floor is created.

What is the Tectonic Cycle?

The cycle of creation and destruction of lithospheric plates driven by mantle convection.