Test review

Lithosphere

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

Asthenosphere

The semi-fluid layer beneath the lithosphere that allows tectonic plates to move.

Oceanic crust

The portion of Earth's crust that is beneath the ocean, made of hardened mantle and sediments, and denser than continental crust.

Continental crust

The part of the Earth's crust that forms the continents, made of hardened mantle that rises above the ocean.

Wegener's Puzzle pieces

The idea that continents fit together like puzzle pieces, supporting the theory of continental drift.

Glossopteris

A fossilized plant species found on multiple continents, providing evidence for continental drift.

Climate inconsistencies

The phenomenon where fossilized evidence contradicts current climate conditions, supporting continental drift.

Seismic waves

Waves of energy caused by earthquakes that help scientists identify the Earth's internal structure.

Slab pull

A process where an oceanic plate subducts beneath another plate, dragging the rest of the plate down with it.

Ridge push

The force that drives tectonic plates apart at mid-ocean ridges due to the elevation of the ridge.

Terranes

Large blocks of lithospheric plates that have moved and attached to continents, contributing to continental growth.

Law of Superposition

The principle stating that in undisturbed sedimentary rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest at the top.

Epicentre

The point on the Earth's surface directly above where an earthquake originates.

Focus

The exact point within the Earth where an earthquake begins.

Richter scale

A scale used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake based on seismic wave amplitude.

Shield Volcanoes

Volcanoes with broad bases and gentle slopes formed primarily by low-viscosity basaltic lava.

Cinder Cones

The simplest type of volcano formed from volcanic fragments ejected from a single vent, creating a cone shape.

Composite Volcanoes

Volcanoes formed by layers of explosive eruptions, including hardened lava and pyroclastic material.

Calderas

Large, basin-like depressions formed when a volcano's magma chamber empties following an explosive eruption.

Weathering

The process of breaking down rocks through physical or chemical means without moving them.

Erosion

The process of transporting weathered rock and soil by wind, water, or ice.

Batholiths

Large igneous rock bodies formed from multiple magma intrusions that cool beneath the Earth's surface.

Glacial striations

Scratches in bedrock created by glaciers, indicating past glacial movement.

Glacial till

Sediment deposited by melting glaciers, consisting of a mixture of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders.

Drumlin

An elongated hill formed by glacial till, indicating the direction of glacier movement.

Plate tectonics

The theory that explains the movement of the Earth's lithosphere which is divided into tectonic plates.

Continental drift

The hypothesis that continents move across the Earth's surface over geological time.

Subduction zones

Regions of the Earth's crust where one tectonic plate moves under another, recycling crust into the mantle.

Transform boundaries

Plates slide past each other at these boundaries, causing earthquakes.

Median ridges

Underwater mountain ranges formed by tectonic activity at divergent boundaries.

Pangaea

A supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, which began to break apart around 175 million years ago.

Seafloor spreading

The process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and slowly moves away from them.

Hypocenter

Another term for the focus, the point within the Earth where an earthquake originates.

Mercalli scale

A scale that measures the intensity of an earthquake based on its observed effects.

Lava plateaus

Flat, elevated areas of land created by extensive volcanic activity.

Rift valleys

Long, narrow valleys formed by the sinking of land between two tectonic plates.

Tsunami

A series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, often due to an earthquake.

Geological time scale

A system of chronological dating that relates geological strata to time.

Hydrosphere

The combined mass of water found on, under, and above the surface of a planet.

Mantle convection

The slow, churning motion of the Earth's mantle caused by the heat from the core.

Plate boundaries

The edges where two tectonic plates meet, which are associated with geological activities.

Fault lines

Fractures in Earth's crust where blocks of land move relative to each other, often causing earthquakes.

Magma

Molten rock beneath the Earth's surface that can lead to volcanic eruptions.