Observation
using all five senses to gather information.
Inference
an interpretation based on observation and prior knowledge.
Pangea
the name of the supercontinent that broke apart 225 million years ago and gave rise to today’s continents.
Plate Tectonics
the theory that pieces of the Earth’s lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle.
Continental Drift
The hypothesis that continents slowly move across Earth’s surface
Plate Boundary
The place where two plates meet
Sea Floor Spreading
the process by which molten material adds new oceanic crust to the ocean floor
What type of wave can travel through empty space?
Electromagnetic wave
What type of waves move by compressing and expanding material?
Longitudinal
(compression) wave
What type of plate boundaries and crust formed the Himalayan Mountains?
Convergent (continental-continental boundary)
Which layer of the Earth has convection currents?
Mantle (asthenosphere)
What two things increase as you head to the center of the Earth?
Heat and pressure
Most scientists rejected Wegener’s Theory of Continental Drift because it failed to
explain____
how the continents moved
