Landform Geography

Zealandia

A mostly submerged continental fragment east of Australia.

Wegener

Alfred Wegener, scientist who proposed the theory of continental drift.

Pangaea

A supercontinent that existed about 300 million years ago, formed by tectonic movements.

Continental Drift

The theory that continents move slowly across Earth’s surface.

Evidence of Plate Tectonics

Data such as seafloor spreading, magnetic stripes, and fossils supporting Earth's crustal movement.

Magma Plumes & Convection Loops

Hot material from the mantle that creates circular convection currents, driving plate motion.

Asthenosphere

A plastic, partially molten layer beneath the lithosphere allowing plate movement.

Ring of Fire

A chain of volcanoes and trenches circling the Pacific Ocean, caused by tectonic activity.

Triple Junction

Where three plate boundaries meet, resulting from complex tectonic motion.

East African Rift Valley

A large continental rift zone formed as tectonic plates pull apart.

Flood Basalts

Massive lava outpourings covering large areas, linked to mantle plumes.

Types of Plate Convergence

Collisions of plates resulting in subduction, island arcs, or mountain building.

Hawaii Formation

Volcanic islands formed from a hotspot as the Pacific Plate moves over a stationary plume.

Appalachian Mountains

Ancient folded mountains formed by continental collisions during Pangaea.

Earthquake

Sudden release of energy in Earth’s crust caused by movement along faults.

Seismic Waves

Energy waves from earthquakes that transfer built-up energy.

Epicenter

Point on the surface directly above where an earthquake starts.

Focus (Hypocenter)

Actual point inside the Earth where an earthquake originates.

Fault

A fracture where rock blocks move due to tectonic stress.

S & P Waves

Seismic waves; P waves are compressional and faster, S waves are shear and slower.

Richter Scale

Measures earthquake magnitude based on the amplitude of seismic waves.

Seismograph

Instrument that measures and records vibrations from earthquakes.

Mercalli Scale

Measures earthquake intensity based on observed effects and damage.

Types of Faults

Different types include Normal, Reverse/Thrust, and Strike-Slip faults, found at different boundaries.

Fracking

Injecting high-pressure fluid to extract oil/gas, which can trigger seismic activity.

Volcano

A vent where magma, gas, and ash escape Earth’s crust.

Types of Volcanoes

Various forms include shield, cinder cone, and stratovolcanoes, each with distinct features.

Paricutin

A cinder cone volcano that emerged in a farmer's field in 1943.

Pacific Ring of Fire

A region with numerous volcanoes and trenches due to tectonic plate subduction.

Hawaiian Volcanic Eruption

Volcanic activity characterized by shield volcanoes releasing basaltic lava.

Hot Spots

Areas in the mantle where heat rises independently of plate boundaries.

Supervolcano

A massive volcano capable of erupting more than 1000 km³ of material.

Caldera

A large crater formed from a volcanic eruption that empties the magma chamber.

Geyser

A hot spring that erupts water and steam periodically due to pressure buildup.

Limnic Eruption

Sudden release of gas from a deep lake that can cause suffocation.

Phreatic Eruption

A steam-driven explosion caused by groundwater contacting hot rock.

Mass Wasting

The downhill movement of rock or soil due to gravity.

Differential Weathering

The process where different rocks erode at varying rates.

Acid Rain

Rain that contains dissolved pollutants and can accelerate rock weathering.

Aquifer

Rock or sediment that stores and transmits groundwater.

Artesian Well

A well that flows without pumping due to pressure in a confined aquifer.

Karst

A landscape shaped by the dissolution of soluble rocks, forming features like caves.

Sinkholes

Surface collapses resulting from the dissolving of limestone beneath the ground.