Crustal Activity and Plate Tectonics

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to crustal activity and plate tectonics.

Plate Tectonics

The study of the formation and movements of Earth's lithospheric plates.

Lithosphere

Earth’s solid outer crust.

Asthenosphere

The partially melted layer beneath the lithosphere that flows slowly.

Convection Currents

The driving force of plate movement due to heating and cooling of magma.

Continental Drift

The theory that continents have moved over geological time and had been proposed since the early 1900s.

Plate Boundaries

Regions where tectonic plates meet and interact, often leading to geological events like earthquakes and volcanism.

Ring of Fire

An isolated belt around the Pacific Ocean where 90% of the world’s volcanoes exist.

Evidence of Plate Tectonics

Includes earthquakes, volcanic activity, rock formations, mountain creation, and fossil distribution.

Earthquake

A sudden and intense shaking of the ground due to movements along plate boundaries.

Fossil Evidence

Fossilized remains of organisms found in rock layers at high elevations, suggesting ancient marine environments.

Mountain Evidence

Mountains formed from the collision and upward movement of tectonic plates.