Tectonic plates

Crust

• Made up of rocks and mineral

• 70% covered by oceans

• Thin, brittle outer coating

• Outer layer (7-50km thick)

Mantle

• below the crust (1288km thick)

• Temperature near the crust is 500 degree celsius and at the bottom of the mantle is 300 degree celsius

• Top part is made out of clay and bottom part is solid

• Semi liquid rock or molten rock

Outer core

• made up of molten, metals, (iron and some nickels)

• Very hot and liquid, temperature ranging from 4000 degree celsius to 6000 degree celsius

Inner core

• temperature is almost 10 000 degree celsius and at

• Doesn’t melt or boil because of the force of the Earth pushing down

• Made up of soild metals (iron and nickel)

Tectonic plates

Large piece of the Earth’s outer layer that moves very slowly

Continental drift

Theory that states that Earth continents are moving away and towards one another.

Pangea

When all continents combined together

Continental crust/plate

Possess large land masses of them. Usually quite thick but lighter than oceanic plates

Oceanic crust/plate

Oceans lay on top of them. Usually quite thin but heavier than continental plates.

Sea floor spreading

When oceanic plates move away from each other.

• New rocks is formed between the two plates as they appear

Transforming plate boundaries

Where two plates slide past each other

Diverging plate boundaries

Two plates moving away from each other

Converging plate boundaries

When two plates collide together.

Convection currents

circular movements of fluid (liquid or gas) caused by the heating and cooling process, resulting in the transfer of heat energy.

Fault

Fracture or break in the Earth’s crust. It occurs when shear stress on a rock overcomes the forces holding it together.

Hot spots

Regions deep within the Earth where unusually hot magma rises through the mantle to the surface, creating volcanic activity.

Subduction

One plate being forced beneath another.