Plate Tectonics Flashcard

Front

What drives the movement of the Earth's lithospheric plates in plate tectonics?

Back

Convection currents.

Front

What process creates new oceanic crust in plate tectonics?

Back

Seafloor spreading.

Front

Name the three types of plate boundaries.

Back

Convergent boundaries, divergent boundaries, and transform boundaries.

Front

What is the Ring of Fire?

Back

A region around the Pacific Ocean where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur due to the movement of tectonic plates.

Front

What evidence supports the theory of continental drift?

Back

Matching shapes of coastlines, distribution of fossils, and alignment of mountain ranges and geological formations.

Front

What is the primary mechanism behind seafloor spreading?

Back

The upwelling of magma at mid-ocean ridges.

Front

What occurs at convergent boundaries?

Back

Plates move towards each other, often causing one plate to be forced beneath another.

Front

What is the result of divergent boundaries?

Back

Plates move apart, leading to the formation of new crust.

Front

How do transform boundaries operate?

Back

Plates slide past each other horizontally.

Front

What geological features are commonly associated with convergent boundaries?

Back

Mountain ranges, deep ocean trenches, and volcanic arcs.