Plate Tectonics Plate Tectonics Vocabulary TermsVocabulary TermsEmily LeonardEmily Leonard

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Core1Core1

Inner CoreInner Core

A ball of hot, solid metalsA ball of hot, solid metals It is solid.It is solid. It is about 2400 km in diameter.It is about 2400 km in diameter. Intense pressure makes it solid.Intense pressure makes it solid.

Outer CoreOuter Core

A layer of liquid metals that surround the A layer of liquid metals that surround the inner core.inner core.

The pressure is lower than the inner The pressure is lower than the inner core.core.

The metal is liquid.The metal is liquid. It is about 2300 km thick.It is about 2300 km thick.

MantleMantle

Hot rock that is less dense than the Hot rock that is less dense than the metallic core.metallic core.

It is Earth’s thickest layer.It is Earth’s thickest layer. It measures nearly 2900 kilometers.It measures nearly 2900 kilometers. It is not solid.It is not solid.

CrustCrust

The thin layer of rock above Earth’s The thin layer of rock above Earth’s mantlemantle

It is the layer we walk onIt is the layer we walk on It is the thinnest layerIt is the thinnest layer It is solidIt is solid

LithosphereLithosphere

The layer in Earth made up of the crust The layer in Earth made up of the crust and the rigid rock of the upper mantleand the rigid rock of the upper mantle

It is the crustIt is the crust The very upper part of the mantle is solid The very upper part of the mantle is solid

rockrock It does not include the skyIt does not include the sky

AsthenosphereAsthenosphere

The layer in Earth’s upper mantle directly The layer in Earth’s upper mantle directly under the lithosphereunder the lithosphere

It lies below the lithosphereIt lies below the lithosphere It has a relatively low densityIt has a relatively low density Seismic waves pass slowly through this Seismic waves pass slowly through this

layer layer

Tectonic PlateTectonic Plate

One of the large, moving pieces into One of the large, moving pieces into which Earth’s lithosphere is broken and which Earth’s lithosphere is broken and which commonly carry both oceanic and which commonly carry both oceanic and continental crustcontinental crust

There are 10 different platesThere are 10 different plates They are part of the lithosphereThey are part of the lithosphere They are on top of the athenosphereThey are on top of the athenosphere

Continental DriftContinental Drift

The hypothesis that Earth’s continents The hypothesis that Earth’s continents move on Earths’ surfacemove on Earths’ surface

It was first put out by Abraham OrteliusIt was first put out by Abraham Ortelius It was first introduced in 1596It was first introduced in 1596 Plate tectonics helped the theory of the Plate tectonics helped the theory of the

continental drift.continental drift.

PangaeaPangaea

A hypothetical supercontinent that once A hypothetical supercontinent that once included all of the landmasses on Earthincluded all of the landmasses on Earth

The name comes from Ancient GreekThe name comes from Ancient Greek They say it formed 300 million years agoThey say it formed 300 million years ago They say it began to break up about 200 They say it began to break up about 200

million years agomillion years ago

Convection CurrentConvection Current

A circulation pattern in which material is A circulation pattern in which material is heated and rises in one area, then cools heated and rises in one area, then cools and sinks in another areaand sinks in another area

Convection is caused by them.Convection is caused by them. They circle throughout Earth’s layersThey circle throughout Earth’s layers They are very importantThey are very important

Divergent BoundaryDivergent Boundary

A boundary along which two tectonic A boundary along which two tectonic plates move apartplates move apart

It is related to plate tectonicsIt is related to plate tectonics It is part of the process of two plates It is part of the process of two plates

moving apartmoving apart It occurs in the lithosphereIt occurs in the lithosphere

Convergent Boundary Convergent Boundary

A boundary along which two tectonic A boundary along which two tectonic plates push togetherplates push together

In plate tectonics, a convergent boundary, also known as a destructive plate boundary (because of subduction), is an actively deforming region where two (or more) tectonic plates or fragments of lithosphere move toward one another and collide. As a result of pressure, friction, and plate material melting in the mantle, earthquakes and volcanoes are common near convergent boundaries

Transform BoundaryTransform Boundary

A boundary along which two tectonic A boundary along which two tectonic plates scrape past each otherplates scrape past each other

A transform fault or transform boundary, also known as conservative plate boundary since these faults neither create nor destroy lithosphere, is a type of fault whose relative motion is predominantly horizontal in either sinistral or dextral direction

Magnetic ReversalMagnetic Reversal

A switch in the direction of Earth’s A switch in the direction of Earth’s magnetic field so that the magnetic north magnetic field so that the magnetic north pole becomes the magnetic south polepole becomes the magnetic south pole

A geomagnetic reversal is a change in the Earth's magnetic field such that the positions of magnetic north and magnetic south are interchanged.

Hot SpotHot Spot

An area where a column of hot material An area where a column of hot material rises from deep within a planet’s mantlerises from deep within a planet’s mantle

Subduction Subduction

The process by which an oceanic The process by which an oceanic tectonic plate sinks under another platetectonic plate sinks under another plate

In geology, subduction is the process that takes place at convergent boundaries by which one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic plate, sinking into the Earth's mantle, as the plates converge. These 3D regions of mantle downwellings are known as "Subduction Zones