Plate Tectonics and Volcanoes

Flashcards on key vocabulary related to plate tectonics and volcanic activity.

Moho

The boundary between the Earth's crust and the underlying mantle.

Asthenosphere

The semi-fluid layer beneath the lithosphere that can flow and deform.

Lithosphere

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

Convection currents

Circulatory movements within the mantle caused by heat from the core.

Sea-floor spreading

The process by which new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges.

P waves

Primary waves, a type of seismic wave that compresses and expands the material they move through.

S waves

Secondary waves, a type of seismic wave that moves the ground up and down or side to side.

Subduction

The process of one tectonic plate being forced under another plate.

Continental drift

The theory that continents have moved and are still moving away from each other.

Plate tectonics

The theory explaining the movement of the Earth's plates and how they interact.

Volcanology

The study of volcanoes and volcanic processes.

Divergent boundary

A tectonic plate boundary where plates move apart from each other.

Convergent boundary

A tectonic plate boundary where plates move towards each other.

Transform boundary

A tectonic plate boundary where plates slide past each other.

Mid-ocean ridge

An underwater mountain range formed by plate tectonics.

Rift valley

A lowland region formed by the divergence of tectonic plates.

Tsunami

A series of ocean waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of water.

Hot spots

Locations where magma from deep within the mantle melts through the crust above it.

Ring of Fire

A region in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

Earthquake

The shaking of the Earth's surface caused by sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere.

Lava

Molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption.

Tephra

Fragmented material ejected from a volcanic eruption.

Fumarole

An opening in the Earth's crust that emits steam and gases.

Geothermal energy

Energy derived from the heat stored beneath the Earth's surface.

Eruption

The act of a volcanic vent discharging lava, gas, and tephra.

Paleomagnetism

The study of the record of the Earth's magnetic field in rocks.

Seismometer

An instrument used to measure and record details of earthquakes.

Volcanic island

An island formed by volcanic activity, often created from underwater eruptions.

Volcanic ash

Tiny fragments of glass and rock ejected from a volcano during an eruption.