Grade 10 Science – Plate Tectonics (Module 1)

28 vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from the Grade 10 Plate Tectonics module.

Plate tectonics

The theory that Earth’s crust is divided into moving plates whose interactions create earthquakes, mountains, volcanoes, and other geologic features.

Lithosphere

The rigid outer layer of Earth, made up of the crust and the uppermost mantle, that is broken into plates.

Plates

Rigid sections of the lithosphere that move as individual units across Earth’s surface.

Plate boundary

The region where two tectonic plates meet and interact.

Divergent boundary

A plate margin where plates move apart, creating a zone of tension and often forming new crust.

Convergent boundary

A plate margin where two plates collide, frequently causing subduction or mountain building.

Transform fault boundary

A boundary where two plates slide horizontally past each other.

Mid-ocean ridge

A continuous, elevated feature on the ocean floor formed at divergent boundaries where new oceanic crust is created.

Continental volcanic arc

A chain of volcano-capped mountains on a continent, produced by subduction of an oceanic plate beneath continental crust.

Subduction

The process in which one tectonic plate is forced beneath another and sinks into the mantle.

Magma

Molten rock beneath Earth’s surface, containing dissolved gases and crystals.

Primary (P) wave

The first seismic wave to reach and be recorded at a seismic station; it compresses and expands material in the direction of travel.

Secondary (S) wave

The second seismic wave to arrive at a station; it moves material perpendicular to the direction of travel and cannot pass through liquids.

Seismograph

An instrument that detects and records earthquake waves.

Seismogram

The written or digital record produced by a seismograph.

Rocks

Consolidated aggregates of minerals that make up much of Earth’s crust.

Zone of tension

The region of stretching stress created at a divergent plate boundary.

Plate motion

The slow, continuous movement of Earth’s lithospheric plates over the asthenosphere.

Plate collision

The interaction of two converging plates that may result in subduction or mountain formation.

Sliding plates

The lateral movement of plates past one another along a transform fault.

Geologic feature

A physical structure on Earth (e.g., mountain, trench, volcano) formed by tectonic processes.

Earthquake

A shaking of the ground caused by the sudden release of energy along faults or plate boundaries.

Mantle

The thick layer of solid and partially molten rock beneath Earth’s crust and above the core.

Crust

Earth’s thin, outermost solid layer, divided into oceanic and continental types.

Ocean floor

The bottom of Earth’s oceans, including features such as mid-ocean ridges and trenches.

Rigid section

Another term for a tectonic plate, emphasizing its stiff mechanical behavior.

Seismic station

A facility equipped with instruments to monitor and record earthquake activity.

Molten rock

Hot, liquid rock material—either magma beneath the surface or lava once erupted.