Geology Overview: Plate Tectonics and Earth Structure

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts related to plate tectonics, geological processes, and Earth’s structure.

Convergent Boundary

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates collide, causing one plate to dive under another.

Divergent Boundary

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates move apart from each other.

Transform Fault

A type of fault where tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally.

Continental Drift

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

Pangaea

A supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, about 335 million years ago.

Alfred Wegener

Meteorologist who proposed the theory of continental drift in 1912.

Oceanic Crust

The layer of the Earth’s crust that is under the ocean, generally thinner and denser than continental crust.

Continental Crust

The layer of the Earth's crust that forms the continents, thicker and less dense than oceanic crust.

Isostasy

The equilibrium between continental crust and the denser mantle below it.

Plate Tectonics

Theory explaining the movement of the Earth’s plates on the fluid-like asthenosphere.

Magnetic Reversal

The change in the Earth’s magnetic field over geological time, where the magnetic north and south poles switch places.

Curie Point

The temperature at which certain materials lose their permanent magnetic properties, typically around 580 degrees Celsius for iron.

Hot Spot

A location on the Earth's surface where hot plumes of magma rise, often resulting in volcanic activity.

Subduction Zone

A region of the Earth's crust where one tectonic plate is being pushed beneath another.

Abyssal Plain

A flat or gently sloping area of the deep ocean floor.

Continental Margin

The transition between the continental crust and the oceanic crust.

Density

The mass per unit volume of a substance, which plays a key role in isostasy.

Glaciation

The process where ice sheets and glaciers cover large areas of land, affecting sea levels and rock formations.

Faults

Fractures in the Earth’s crust along which movement has occurred.

Fossil Correlation

Using fossils found in different locations to determine the relative ages of the rock layers.

Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks formed from the accumulation and compression of mineral and organic particles.

Biochemical Sediment

Sediment formed from the accumulation of biological material.

Chert

A fine-grained sedimentary rock composed mainly of silica; can be formed from biologically useful silicates.