Geology Flashcards

Flashcards about seismic waves, Earth's crust, lithosphere, plate tectonics, and large plates

What are Primary (P) Seismic Waves?

Travel faster than S waves and into the Earth's interior.

What are Secondary (S) Seismic Waves?

Travel into the Earth's interior.

What are Long Surface Seismic Waves?

Travel on the Earth's surface.

What are the two kinds of crust?

Continental and oceanic crust.

What are the characteristics of Continental Crust?

Thick (10-70km), buoyant (less dense than oceanic crust), and mostly old.

What are the characteristics of Oceanic Crust?

Thin (~7 km), dense (sinks under continental crust), and young.

What two layers make up Earth's lithosphere?

The crust and the upper mantle.

What is the crust made of?

Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.

What are the names of the 7 Large Plates?

Eurasian, North American, South American, Australian, African, Antarctic, and Pacific.

What are plates?

Moving solid pieces that make up the Earth's surface.

What is tectonics?

Movement of plates in a constant but slow motion.

What does the Plate Tectonics Theory suggests?

That the Earth's crust is made up of plates that interact in various ways producing geologic features and events.

Give examples of geologic features and events produced by the interactions of plates.

Occurrence of earthquakes & volcanic eruptions, formation of mountains and volcanoes, and formation of ocean vents and/or trenches.

Plate tectonics

Plates are moving due to the convection current in the mantle specifically in the Asthenosphere