Year 8 Checklist: Earth’s Dynamic Surface

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the Year $$8$$ Earth’s Dynamic Surface checklist, covering Earth's structure, tectonic theories, plate boundaries, and natural disasters.

Crust

The thin, solid outer layer of the Earth.

Mantle

The thick layer of semi-molten rock that moves slowly beneath the crust.

Core

The extremely hot center of the Earth, consisting of the inner and outer core and made mostly of iron and nickel.

Convection Currents

Movements in the mantle caused by heat from the core that move tectonic plates.

Alfred Wegener

The scientist who proposed the Continental Drift Theory.

Continental Drift Theory

The theory that the continents were once joined together and have since moved apart.

Pangaea

A supercontinent that existed when all the Earth's continents were once joined together.

Evidence Supporting Continental Drift

Includes the fit of continents, fossils, rocks, and climate clues.

Tectonic Plate

A massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere.

Convergent Boundary

A tectonic boundary where plates move together.

Divergent Boundary

A tectonic boundary where plates move apart.

Transform Boundary

A tectonic boundary where plates slide past each other.

Magma

Molten rock located beneath the Earth's surface.

Lava

Molten rock that has erupted and reached the Earth's surface.

Tsunami

A series of large ocean waves caused by underwater disturbances like earthquakes, differing from typical wind-driven waves.

Focus

The point inside the Earth where an earthquake begins.

Epicentre

The point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake.

Fault line

A break or crack in the Earth’s crust along which movement occurs.

Anatomy of a volcano

The structural features and internal parts that make up a volcano.