Plate Tectonics and Canadian Geography Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering Earth's internal layers, plate tectonic movements, and the landform regions of Canada.

Earth's Core

The innermost region of Earth, consisting of an iron core spinning in liquid iron and nickel, with temperatures ranging from $4000\,^\circ\text{C}$ to $8000\,^\circ\text{C}$.

Manteau terrestre

The middle region of Earth composed mainly of magnesium- and iron-rich rocks resting in magma, undergoing a constant convection cycle with temperatures from $870\,^\circ\text{C}$ to $4400\,^\circ\text{C}$.

Croute terrestre

The outermost layer of Earth divided into massive plates floating on the mantle, with temperatures from $0\,^\circ\text{C}$ to $700\,^\circ\text{C}$.

Plate Tectonics

A geological theory suggesting that the lithosphere is composed of numerous floating plates that are in constant movement.

Lithosphere

The entire upper part of the mantle and Earth's crust, named after the Greek word 'lithos' meaning rock or stone, and subdivided into major and minor tectonic plates.

Convergent Movement

A boundary movement where two tectonic plates move toward each other and converge.

Subduction

The process where a denser tectonic plate slides beneath a less dense plate during convergence, forming island arcs, ocean trenches, or mountains.

Divergent Movement

A tectonic boundary movement where magma rises from the mantle and forces two plates to separate, creating rift valleys on land or mid-ocean ridges underwater.

Mid-Ocean Ridge

A single continuous underwater mountain chain extending $65000\,\text{km}$ across all oceans, formed by divergent plate boundaries.

Transform Movement

A tectonic process where two plates slide past each other horizontally in opposite directions without creating or destroying crust, accumulating pressure that triggers earthquakes.

San Andreas Fault

A major real-world example of a transform boundary where plates slide past each other.

Ottawa

The federal capital city of Canada.

Western Cordillera

A Canadian landform region containing Canada's youngest mountains, popular for skiing and hiking.

Interior Plains

A flat Canadian region with mineral-rich soil, where agriculture and resource extraction are major industries.

Arctic Lands

A cold Canadian region containing the country's second highest mountain chain, largely covered by permafrost with sparse tree growth.

Canadian Shield

A vast, rocky landform region covering half of Canada, consisting of swampy and forested habitat where caribou, bears, and moose thrive.

Appalachians

The landform region containing the oldest mountain chain in Canada, characterized by peaks flattened over time by weathering and erosion.

Hudson Bay Lowlands

A small Canadian region mostly covered in wetlands due to poorly drained soil, where polar bears breed along the coasts.

Les grandes lacs et basse terres de saint laurent

A Canadian landform region containing large lakes carved by glaciers, fertile agricultural soil, and the majority of Canada's population.