lithosphere
layer made of outer crust and solid upper mantle
asthenosphere
semi molten part of upper mantle
proof of continental drift
Pangaea
continents of south America and Africa fit together
remains of ice sheets in areas that couldn’t support an ice age
proof of sea floor spreading
rocks get progressively older with distance from mid ocean ridges
oceanic plate convergence
pacific plate and Eurasian
Continental plate convergence
Eurasian and African plates
oceanic continental convergence
Nazca plate and south American plate
oceanic divergence
north American and Eurasian
Transform plates
North American and Pacific plates
Define lithosphere.
The rigid outer layer of Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.
What is the asthenosphere?
A semi-fluid layer beneath the lithosphere that allows tectonic plates to move.
True or false: The mantle is the thickest layer of Earth.
TRUE
The mantle extends to about 2,900 kilometers deep.
Fill in the blank: Tectonic plates float on the _______.
asthenosphere
What is plate tectonics?
The theory explaining the movement of Earth’s lithospheric plates and their interactions.
Define subduction zone.
An area where one tectonic plate sinks beneath another into the mantle.
What are transform boundaries?
Places where tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally.
True or false: Continental drift is a part of plate tectonics.
TRUE
It describes the gradual movement of continents over geological time.
Fill in the blank: Earthquakes often occur at _______.
fault lines
What is a mid-ocean ridge?
An underwater mountain range formed by tectonic plate divergence.
What are the two main components of the upper mantle?
- Silica
- Magnesium
The upper mantle is solid and is composed of these materials.
The inner core is in a solid state due to _______.
Pressure
The inner core’s solid state is a result of extreme pressure despite high temperatures.
What is the approximate temperature range of the inner core?
5,000 degrees celcius and 6,000 degrees celcius
This temperature range indicates the extreme heat present in the inner core.
The lower mantle consists primarily of which material?
Iron
The lower mantle is rich in iron and contributes to the Earth’s magnetic field.
True or false: The upper mantle is solid and composed of silicate and magnesium.
TRUE
The upper mantle is indeed solid and consists of silicate and magnesium.
