Tectonics and the Earth Interior

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the lecture on plate tectonics and the Earth's interior.

Plate Tectonics

The theory that explains continental drift and related geological phenomena, including the movement of Earth's lithosphere.

Continental Drift

The movement of continents away from a common ancestor, resulting in their current positions.

Lithosphere

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

Seismic Waves

Waves of energy caused by earthquakes that travel through the Earth, providing information about its interior.

Divergent Boundaries

Plate boundaries where tectonic plates move apart, often resulting in the formation of new oceanic crust.

Convergent Boundaries

Plate boundaries where tectonic plates collide, leading to subduction of one plate beneath another.

Transform Boundaries

Plate boundaries where two plates slide past each other without creating or destroying crust.

P-Waves

Primary compressional seismic waves that travel faster than S-waves and can move through both solids and liquids.

S-Waves

Secondary shear seismic waves that cannot travel through liquids and are slower than P-waves.

Mantle Convection

The process by which heat from the Earth's interior causes the movement of the mantle, driving plate tectonics.

Isostasy

The equilibrium that exists between continental crust and the denser mantle below it, allowing the crust to float.

Magnetic Reversals

Changes in Earth's magnetic field that occur at irregular intervals, affecting the magnetism recorded in seafloor rocks.

Supercontinent Cycle

The cycle of assembling and breaking apart of supercontinents over geological time.

Geosyncline Theory

A historical concept that explains the formation of mountains through sedimentary rock accumulation.

Buoyancy

The ability of the crust to float on the mantle, which is related to the balance of weight and density.

Mid-Ocean Ridges

Underwater mountain ranges formed by divergent tectonic plates, where new crust is created.

Subduction Zones

Regions where one tectonic plate is forced beneath another, often associated with oceanic trenches.