Untitled Flashcards Set

Continental Drift

The movement of continents resulting from the motion of tectonic plates.

Pangaea

A supercontinent that existed when all continents were once joined together.

Evidence for Pangaea

Fossils of trilobites found in Scotland and across the Atlantic; Mesosaurus fossils in South America and Africa; Glossopteris fossils in all Southern continents.

Plate Tectonics

The theory describing the large-scale motion of Earth's lithosphere, involving the formation and breakup of continents like Pangaea.

Seismic Tomography

A technique used to study Earth's interior by analyzing seismic waves generated by earthquakes.

S-wave Shadow Zone

An area on the Earth's surface where S-waves are not detected due to their inability to pass through the Earth's liquid outer core.

Mantle Convection

The movement of the mantle as it transfers heat from the core to the lithosphere, driving tectonic plate movements.

Divergent Plate Boundary

A tectonic boundary where plates pull apart, causing new oceanic crust to form through seafloor spreading.

Convergent Plate Boundary

A tectonic boundary where plates collide, resulting in subduction and the formation of features like trenches and volcanoes.

Transform Plate Boundaries

Tectonic boundaries where plates slide past each other, such as the San Andreas Fault.

Hotspots

Areas in the mantle where heat rises, forming magma that leads to volcanic activity, such as the Hawaiian Islands.