Ch. 3 Plate Tectonics

Front

What technology did scientists use in the mid-1900s to map the mid-ocean ridge?

Back

Sonar is a technology that uses sound waves to detect and locate objects underwater, which was crucial for mapping the mid-ocean ridges.

Front

Any trace of an ancient organism that has been preserved in rock is called a?

Back

A fossil is the preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms, providing evidence of past life.

Front

The lithosphere is broken into sections called _________, which float on top of the asthenosphere.

Back

Plates are the large sections of the lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries.

Front

Mid-ocean ridges form the longest mountain ranges on Earth. TRUE or FALSE?

Back

TRUE. Mid-ocean ridges are underwater mountain ranges formed by tectonic activity.

Front

The hypothesis of ________ _______ was that all the continents once were joined as a single supercontinent and have since drifted apart.

Back

Continental drift is the theory that explains how continents have moved over geological time.

Front

What is the outermost layer of the Earth called?

Back

The crust is the outermost layer of the Earth, consisting of solid rock.

Front

What is the semi-fluid layer beneath the lithosphere called?

Back

The asthenosphere is the semi-fluid layer beneath the lithosphere that allows tectonic plates to move.

Front

What are the three types of plate boundaries?

Back

The three types of plate boundaries are divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries.

Front

What occurs at a divergent boundary?

Back

At a divergent boundary, tectonic plates move apart, leading to the formation of new crust, often seen at mid-ocean ridges.

Front

What happens at a convergent boundary?

Back

At a convergent boundary, tectonic plates collide, which can cause one plate to be forced beneath another, leading to subduction.