Plate Tectonics Study Guide

5.0(1)
studied byStudied by 12 people
learnLearn
examPractice Test
spaced repetitionSpaced Repetition
heart puzzleMatch
flashcardsFlashcards
Card Sorting

1/73

flashcard set

Earn XP

Description and Tags

tsm ben cause i stole a lot of yours

Study Analytics
Name
Mastery
Learn
Test
Matching
Spaced

No study sessions yet.

74 Terms

1
New cards

fault

The surface along which rocks break and slide past each other.

<p>The surface along which rocks break and slide past each other.</p>
2
New cards

continental drift

the gradual movement of the continents across the earth's surface through geological time.

<p>the gradual movement of the continents across the earth's surface through geological time.</p>
3
New cards

divergent boundary

Place where two tectonic plates move away from each other

<p>Place where two tectonic plates move away from each other</p>
4
New cards

mid-ocean ridge

an underwater mountain chain where new ocean floor is produced

<p>an underwater mountain chain where new ocean floor is produced</p>
5
New cards

plate tectonics

The theory that the earth is broken into plates and are in motion due to convection currents in the asthenosphere (upper mantle)

<p>The theory that the earth is broken into plates and are in motion due to convection currents in the asthenosphere (upper mantle)</p>
6
New cards

oceanic crust

thinner, more dense, younger crust making ocean floor/Large pieces of earths crust and upper mantle that move due to convection currents.

<p>thinner, more dense, younger crust making ocean floor/Large pieces of earths crust and upper mantle that move due to convection currents.</p>
7
New cards

convergent boundary

The boundary formed by the collision of two plates

<p>The boundary formed by the collision of two plates</p>
8
New cards

deep-ocean trench

deep valley or underwater canyon where the oceanic crust sinks back toward the mantle

<p>deep valley or underwater canyon where the oceanic crust sinks back toward the mantle</p>
9
New cards

cynognathus, mesosaurus, lystrosaurus, and glossopteris

What fossils did Wegener use for his theories?

10
New cards

asthenosphere

The soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats

<p>The soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats</p>
11
New cards

continental crust

The portion of the earth's crust that primarily contains granite, is less dense than oceanic crust, and is 20-50 km thick/Large pieces of earths crust and upper mantle that move due to convection currents.

<p>The portion of the earth's crust that primarily contains granite, is less dense than oceanic crust, and is 20-50 km thick/Large pieces of earths crust and upper mantle that move due to convection currents.</p>
12
New cards

transform boundary

The boundary between tectonic plates that are sliding past each other horizontally

<p>The boundary between tectonic plates that are sliding past each other horizontally</p>
13
New cards

sonar

Sound waves from ships bounce off the ocean floor to tell how deep the water is.

<p>Sound waves from ships bounce off the ocean floor to tell how deep the water is.</p>
14
New cards

plate boundary

the region where two tectonic plates are in contact

<p>the region where two tectonic plates are in contact</p>
15
New cards

Pangaea

the name of the single landmass that broke apart 200 million years ago and gave rise to today's continents.

<p>the name of the single landmass that broke apart 200 million years ago and gave rise to today's continents.</p>
16
New cards

land features, fossils, past climate, coastlines

Explain the evidence supporting the hypothesis of Alfred Wegener

<p>Explain the evidence supporting the hypothesis of Alfred Wegener</p>
17
New cards

He didn’t know how plates moved

Why was Wegener's hypothesis rejected (reason 1 - explanation)?

<p>Why was Wegener's hypothesis rejected (reason 1 - explanation)?</p>
18
New cards

He was a weatherman

Why was Wegener's hypothesis rejected (reason 2 - job)?

19
New cards

sea-floor spreading

The process of adding more crust to the ocean floor. We know this occurs because of ocean-floor material, magnetic stripes, and drilling samples.

<p>The process of adding more crust to the ocean floor. We know this occurs because of ocean-floor material, magnetic stripes, and drilling samples.</p>
20
New cards

Ocean material

Seafloor spreading evidence: Pillow lava, rocks on the ocean floor form in the shape of a pillow when it cools and hardens very quickly underwater

21
New cards

Magnetic stripes

Seafloor spreading evidence: When molten material erupts it brings magnetic material with it and lines up in the direction of the magnetic field at the time..the magnetic field changes over time and the stripes reflect those changes

22
New cards

Seafloor age

Seafloor spreading evidence: At oceanic spreading centres, new oceanic crust is formed from magma upwelling. This new crust emerges from the ridge and pushes the pre-existing rocks away from the ridge laterally. This results in a strip of new rock cutting through the older rock. As the formation of the crust continues, the older rocks will be pushed further away from the ridge, while younger, newly produced rocks will occupy the area closest to the ridge.

23
New cards

the force that moves the plates

Seafloor spreading supports Wegener's hypothesis because it explains _______________.

<p>Seafloor spreading supports Wegener's hypothesis because it explains _______________.</p>
24
New cards

deep-ocean trench

A deep underwater canyon where the ocean crust bends downward. The Pacific Ocean has the most deep of these.

Ex. Mariana Trench 😱

25
New cards

subduction

The process of the ocean floor sinking beneath a deep ocean trench and back into the mantle. When new crust is formed, the older crust is pushed further away from the trench, it cools and becomes more dense. This dense crust can sink back into the mantle when it reaches an ocean trench.

26
New cards

smaller

Because the Atlantic Ocean is opening and North America and South America are moving westward, we know that the Pacific Ocean is getting ________ (larger/smaller).

27
New cards

larger

Because of the presence of spreading centres (divergent plate boundaries), we can tell that the Atlantic Ocean is getting __________ (larger/smaller).

28
New cards

stay the same

Subduction and seafloor spreading balance each other out, allowing Earth’s size to _______ (increase/decrease/stay the same).

29
New cards

4 billion years old

How old is the oldest continental crust?

Remember: because continental crust is lighter than oceanic crust, continental crust cannot subduct. We therefore still have some very old continental rocks at the surface of the Earth.

30
New cards

180 million years old

How old is the oldest oceanic crust in the Atlantic?

Remember: oceanic crust tends to get colder and denser with age as it spreads off the mid-ocean ridges. It gets so dense, that it sinks in the upper mantle (subduction). This is like a giant recycling system for oceanic lithosphere!

31
New cards

tectonic plate

A ________ is the name for the pieces of the earth's crust (lithosphere)

32
New cards

lithosphere

What layer of Earth contains tectonic plates?

Hint: The solid, outer layer of the Earth that consists of the the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle

<p>What layer of Earth contains tectonic plates?</p><p>Hint: The solid, outer layer of the Earth that consists of the the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle</p>
33
New cards

Oceanic and continental plates

What are the two kinds of plates?

<p>What are the two kinds of plates?</p>
34
New cards

fault

The surface along which rocks break and slide past each other.

<p>The surface along which rocks break and slide past each other.</p>
35
New cards

convection currents

What drives plate movement?

<p>What drives plate movement?</p>
36
New cards

2 to 5 cm per year

How fast do plates move on average?

<p>How fast do plates move on average?</p>
37
New cards

fingernails

What grows just as fast as plates move?

38
New cards

73 miles

How long is Hadrian's wall?

39
New cards

sure

Read this and type sure (how are sea-floor spreading and rift valley forming alike):

Sea-floor spreading and rift valleys both involve plates diverging (moving apart)

<p>Read this and type sure (how are sea-floor spreading and rift valley forming alike):</p><p>Sea-floor spreading and rift valleys both involve plates diverging (moving apart)</p>
40
New cards

yes

Read this and type yes (how are rift valleys and sea floor spreading different):

Sea-floor spreading occurs underwater, rift valleys occur on land; the new crust is formed by sea-floor spreading, rift valleys don't create new land

<p>Read this and type yes (how are rift valleys and sea floor spreading different):</p><p>Sea-floor spreading occurs underwater, rift valleys occur on land; the new crust is formed by sea-floor spreading, rift valleys don't create new land</p>
41
New cards

transform boundaries

What plate boundary doesn't change the mass or composition of the sea floor (ex. through subduction or creating new crust)?

<p>What plate boundary doesn't change the mass or composition of the sea floor (ex. through subduction or creating new crust)?</p>
42
New cards

ok

Read this and write/click “ok” hehe:

Layers that are less dense, such as the crust, float on layers that are denser, such as the mantle. Both oceanic crust and continental crust are less dense than the mantle, but oceanic crust is denser than continental crust. This is partly why the continents are at a higher elevation than the ocean floor.

<p>Read this and write/click “ok” hehe:</p><p>Layers that are less dense, such as the crust, float on layers that are denser, such as the mantle. Both oceanic crust and continental crust are less dense than the mantle, but oceanic crust is denser than continental crust. This is partly why the continents are at a higher elevation than the ocean floor.</p>
43
New cards

earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

What catastrophic events can plate movements cause?

<p>What catastrophic events can plate movements cause?</p>
44
New cards

Laurasia

top part of pangaea

45
New cards

Gondwana

bottom part of pangaea

46
New cards

Panthalassa Ocean

ocean in Pangaea

47
New cards

James Hutton

father of geology

48
New cards

Eurasian Plate and Indian Plate

What two plates created the Himalayas (hint: C-C convergent boundary)?

49
New cards

Nazca Plate and South American Plate

What two plates created the Andes (hint: O-C convergent boundary)?

50
New cards

Pacific Plate and North American plate

What two plates created the San Andreas Fault (hint: transform boundary)?

51
New cards

James Ussher

The man who calculated the age of the Earth to have been formed on October 23, 4004 BC.

52
New cards

Catastrophism

A theory on Earth’s formation and the diverse landscapes of our planet based on James Ussher’s timeline.

Hint: Involved landforms being quickly created by various natural disasters.

53
New cards

Uniformitarianism

A theory that changes in the earth's crust during geological history have resulted from the action of continuous and uniform processes.

Hint: this theory was formed by Hutton’s timeline.

54
New cards

Hadrian’s wall

A very old wall that was in very good condition, whilst the same type of rock that was part of the ground was worn and eroded. It inspired Hutton’s theories on the timeline of the Earth.

55
New cards

seven

How many major plates are there?

56
New cards

ten

How many minor plates are there?

57
New cards

C-C convergent

Subduction doesn’t occur at ______________ boundaries. (hint: folded mountains are here!)

58
New cards

over 45,000 miles long

How long is the global ridge system?

59
New cards

Cascade Mts and Andes Mts

List some O-C convergent boundary examples :)

60
New cards

Aleutian Islands and Marianas Trench

List some O-O convergent boundary examples :)

61
New cards

Alps, Urals, and Appalacians

List some C-C convergent boundary examples :)

62
New cards

East African Rift

Name an example of continental rifting

63
New cards

Playa

shallow, short-lived lake

64
New cards

Racetrack Playa

a basin and range system in Death Valley; one of the flattest places on Earth

Hint: the rolling stones 🫨

65
New cards

410-620 miles deep

In the layer cake model, at what depth is the mantle divided

66
New cards

layer-cake model

Convection Model:

Two layers: thin upper mantle and thick lower mantle

  • subducted slabs go no deeper than 620 miles

  • melted plates cause hotspots

  • very little mixing between sections

  • heat slowly rises from lower mantle

67
New cards

whole-mantle convection

Convection Model:

aka the plume model

  • narrow tube-like plumes and large mega plumes

  • heat comes from the core

  • convective flow is driven by lithosphere subduction

  • subducted slabs rest on the core-mantle boundary

68
New cards

Vine and Mathews

Who interpreted the magnetic stripes of the mid-atlantic ridge as products of steady creation of new crust?

69
New cards

Olympus Mons

If there were no plate tectonics, Hawaii would be the size of ______.

70
New cards

Marie Tharp and Bruce Heezen

Who released the first ocean floor map in 1957?

71
New cards

Harry Hess

Who theorised that the oceanic mountain ranges were caused by tectonic plates that were spreading apart and creating new crust?

72
New cards

Marie Tharp and Harold Foster

Who discovered the correlations between the mid-atlantic ridge and earthquakes?

73
New cards

Alfred Wegener

Who proposed the theory of continental drift in 1915?

74
New cards

thicker

Sediments became ______ (thicker/thinner) the older the rock got (further from the ridge)