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These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the origin and evolution of the marine environment, specifically focusing on plate tectonics and their associated processes.

Plate Tectonics

The theory explaining the movement of the earth's plates that make up its lithosphere.

Lithosphere

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

Asthenosphere

The semi-fluid layer beneath the lithosphere that allows for tectonic plate movement.

Continental Crust

The part of the Earth's crust that forms the continents, predominantly granitic in composition.

Oceanic Crust

The part of the Earth's crust that underlies the oceans, predominantly basaltic in composition.

Divergent Boundary

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates move apart, creating new lithosphere.

Convergent Boundary

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates collide, leading to the destruction of lithosphere.

Transform Boundary

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates slide past each other without creating or destroying lithosphere.

Oceanic-Oceanic Subduction

When one oceanic plate is pushed underneath another, often forming volcanic island arcs.

Continental-Continental Collision

When two continental plates collide, forming mountain ranges.

Subduction Zone

An area where one tectonic plate is being forced under another.

Mid-Ocean Ridge

An underwater mountain range formed by divergent tectonic plates.

Plate Motion Rate

Tectonic plates move at rates typically between 1 to 15 cm per year.

Volcanic Arc

A chain of volcanoes formed above a subduction zone.

Earthquake

A sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves.

Rifting

The process by which the lithosphere stretches and thins, potentially forming new ocean basins.

Hot Spot

A volcanic region powered by plumes of hot material from the mantle, independent of tectonic plate boundaries.

Wilson Cycle

The cyclical process of the opening and closing of ocean basins.

Mafic Magma

Magmas that are rich in magnesium and iron, typically associated with oceanic crust.

Felsic Crust

Crust that is rich in lighter elements such as silicon and aluminum, typically found in continental crust.

Accretionary Prism

A wedge-shaped mass formed at subduction zones, composed of sediments and materials scraped off the subducting plate.

Transform Fault

A strike-slip fault that forms the boundary between two tectonic plates that slide past each other.

Continental Drift Hypothesis

The early theory proposing that continents move across the Earth's surface.

Sea-Floor Spreading

The process that creates new oceanic crust through volcanic activity at mid-ocean ridges.

Geological Evidence

Physical indicators used to support theories such as Plate Tectonics, including rock composition and fossil distribution.

Triple Junction

A point where three tectonic plates meet.

Rift Valley

A lowland region formed by the downward displacement of a block of the Earth's crust between two fault lines.

Plate Boundary

The region where two tectonic plates meet and interact.

Collision Mountains

Mountains that form as a result of tectonic plates colliding.

Continental Margin

The extension of continental landmasses under the ocean.

Oceanic Transform Faults

Faults that offset mid-ocean ridges and are composed of oceanic crust.

Features of Oceanic Crust

Younger than continental crust and primarily basaltic.

Features of Continental Crust

Older, primarily granitic, and less dense than oceanic crust.

Seismic Waves

Waves of energy that travel through the Earth and are caused by earthquakes.

Oceanic Ridge

An underwater mountain range formed by the upwelling of magma at divergent boundaries.

Plate Boundary Types

Divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries.

Driving Forces of Plate Tectonics

Ridge-push, slab-pull, and mantle convection.