Geology Review

Flashcards about Tectonic Plates, Earth Structure, Plate Movements, Boundaries, Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Rock Cycle, Weathering, and Types of Rocks.

Tectonic Plate

an irregularly shaped slab of solid rock that makes up the outer shell of the earth, called the lithosphere

list the several layers of the earth structure

The crust, the outer most layer which is followed by the mantle, a thick rocky layer beneath the crust. the upper part of the mantle is called lithosphere and beneath it come the asthenosphere, a molten layer that alows the plates to move. the outer core, a liquid layer composed mainly of iron and nickel, is beneath the mantle and surrounds the inner core, which is solid and also made mostly of iron and nickel.

Plate movements

Convection currents in the mantle and gravitational forces.

Types of crust

Oceanic crust (thinner, denser) and continental crust (thicker, less dense).

Diverging boundaries

Plates move apart, create new crust, and are associated with mid-ocean ridges.

Converging boundaries

Plates collide, one subducts under another, causing mountains, volcanoes, and trenches.

Transform boundaries

Boundary where plates slide past each other horizontally.

Volcano

An opening in the Earth's crust through which molten rock and gases erupt.

Hot spots

Stationary plumes of magma that cause volcanic activity away from plate boundaries.

Earthquakes

Sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust, caused by tectonic forces.

Focus

The point within the Earth where an earthquake originates.

Epicenter

The point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake.

Rock Cycle

The continuous process by which rocks are created, changed, and destroyed.

Three main types of rocks

Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.

Weathering

Physical, biological, and chemical processes that break down rocks.

Deposition

The laying down of sediment carried by wind, water, or ice.

Compacting and Cementation

Processes that turn sediment into sedimentary rock.

Melting and Crystallization

Processes that create igneous rocks.

Fossil

Remains or traces of ancient life preserved in rock.

oceanic crust

The outermost layer of the Earth's lithosphere beneath the oceans, primarily composed of basalt and denser than continental crust.

list the 7 tectonic plates

there are 7 tectonic plates which include the North American, Eurasian, African, South American, Indo-Australian, Antarctic, and Pacific plates.

compare the oceanic and continental crust

Oceanic crust is denser and primarily composed of basalt, while continental crust is less dense and mainly made of granite, extending deeper beneath continents.