Plate Tectonics

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the key concepts from the lecture notes on Plate Tectonics.

Plate Tectonics

A theory that describes and provides a mechanism for the large-scale motion of Earth's lithospheric plates.

Lithosphere is made of?

Composed of the crust and uppermost mantle; forms strong, rigid, and brittle tectonic plates.

Asthenosphere

Middle mantle below lithosphere; flows like a soft, gooey solid and is denser than the lithosphere.

Oceanic Crust

Thinner but denser crust that is basaltic in composition.

Continental Crust

Thicker but less dense crust that is granitic in composition.

Divergent Boundary

A plate boundary where plates move away from each other, typically associated with oceanic ridges.

Convergent Boundary

A plate boundary where plates move toward each other, often resulting in subduction zones.

Transform Boundary

A plate boundary where plates slide past each other horizontally, causing earthquakes without creating new crust.

Ridge Push

A mechanism driving plate motion at divergent boundaries due to the upwelling of magma pushing lithosphere upwards.

Slab Pull

A mechanism driving plate motion at convergent boundaries, where a denser lithosphere sinks into the mantle, pulling the rest of the plate with it.

Subduction Zone

An area where an oceanic plate sinks beneath another plate into the mantle, leading to volcanic activity.

Earthquake

A sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that causes seismic waves, often occurring at plate boundaries.

Volcanism

The eruption of molten rock (magma) onto the Earth's surface, typically at divergent and convergent plate boundaries.

Oceanic Ridge

An underwater volcanic range formed at divergent plate boundaries where new oceanic crust is created.

Mariana Trench

The deepest part of the world's oceans, formed by the subduction of an oceanic plate under another oceanic plate.

Fault

A fracture in the Earth's crust along which movement has occurred, commonly associated with seismic activity.

Which plate boundaries are associated with earthquakes?

Earthquakes are primarily associated with convergent boundaries, divergent boundaries, and transform boundaries.

Which plate boundaries are associated with volcanism?

Volcanism is mainly associated with convergent boundaries, divergent boundaries, and hotspots.

Which specific type of plate boundary is associated with mountain formation?

Mountain formation is typically associated with convergent boundaries, especially where continental plates collide.

What is a continental shelf?

A continental shelf is a gently sloping, submerged (underwater) portion of continental crust.

What is a continental slope?

A continental slope is a steep slope that serves as the boundary between continental and oceanic crusts.

What produces earthquakes?

Earthquakes are produced by the breaking and shifting of blocks of crust and occur at every plate boundary.

What is volcanism and how does it form?

Volcanism is formed by rising melted rocks, occurring at divergent plate boundaries from upwelling magma and at convergent plate boundaries with subduction zones.

What are tsunamis and what typically produces them?

Tsunamis are produced by underwater earthquakes, typically occurring at convergent plate boundaries with subduction zones.