Science Reviewer: Continental Drift, Plate Tectonics, and Earthquakes

Fill-in-the-blank practice flashcards derived directly from the provided lecture notes on continental drift, plate tectonic boundaries, geological features, and earthquake depths.

Continental Drift Theory states that Earth's continents were once joined together in a single __________ and have since drifted apart.

supercontinent

The supercontinent Pangaea existed about __________ million years ago.

300-200

In Greek, the name "Pangaea" means "__________".

all lands

Pangaea broke apart into two large landmasses: __________ in the north and Gondwanaland in the south.

Laurasia

Pangaea broke apart into two large landmasses: Laurasia in the north and __________ in the south.

Gondwanaland

Continents move very slowly, at about the same speed your __________ grow.

fingernails

Matching mountain ranges and rock layers on different continents provide __________ Formations evidence for continental drift.

Rock

Coal found in cold regions like Antartica suggests those regions were once near the __________.

equator

In 1912, scientist __________ proposed the Continental Drift Theory.

Alfred Wegener

The Plate Tectonics Theory states that Earth's outer layer moves over the __________, which is a semi-molten layer of the mantle.

asthenosphere

The lithosphere consists of the __________ and upper mantle.

crust

Tectonic plates move due to __________ currents in the mantle.

convection

At a __________ boundary, plates move away from each other.

Divergent

At a divergent boundary, magma rises to fill the gap, creating new __________.

crust

When an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the __________ oceanic plate subducts under the continental plate.

denser

Oceanic-continental convergence forms deep-ocean trenches and volcanic mountain ranges such as the __________ Mountains.

Andes

Oceanic-oceanic convergence forms island arcs such as __________ and the Philippines.

Japan

At a continental-continental convergent boundary, both plates are light so neither subducts; instead, they __________.

crumple

At a transform boundary, plates slide __________ past each other.

horizontally

At a transform boundary, crust is neither created nor __________.

destroyed

An example of a transform boundary is the __________ Fault in California.

San Andreas

As plates move, stress builds up due to friction until the rock breaks, releasing energy as __________ waves.

seismic

Shallow earthquakes occur along __________ and Transform Boundaries.

Divergent

Deep earthquakes occur along a Convergent Boundary, specifically in a __________ zone.

subduction