Earth's Structures and Movement: Plate Tectonics Vocab

Front

Thin, young, dense lithosphere

Back

oceanic lithosphere

Front

Section of Earth made of crust & upper mantle.

Back

lithosphere

Front

Top layer of Earth, thin, rocky, brittle.

Back

crust

Front

3rd layer of Earth that is liquid, mostly iron.

Back

outer core

Front

Movement of matter due to density differences from temperature variations, transferring energy as heat.

Back

convection current

Front

Center layer of Earth, solid, mostly iron and nickel.

Back

inner core

Front

A large slab of rock, composed of continental and oceanic lithosphere, that moves and changes shape over time.

Back

tectonic plate

Front

Layer of Earth that is crystalline and plastic-like.

Back

mantle

Front

Thick, old, less dense lithosphere type

Back

continental lithosphere

Front

Mass and volume relationship.

Back

Density