8.9A - Plate Tectonics

Front

What is Plate Tectonics?

Back

The theory that Earth's crust and upper mantle are broken into sections (plates) that are in constant, slow motion.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What evidence supports the theory of Plate Tectonics?

Back

Fossils, continental fit, glacier movements, and seafloor spreading.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What is continental drift?

Back

The hypothesis that continents have moved over geological time from a single supercontinent to their current locations.

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

Front

What is Pangaea?

Back

A supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, where all continents were joined together.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

How do glaciers provide evidence for Plate Tectonics?

Back

Glaciers have left evidence that the same glaciers covered different regions of several continents, indicating they were once connected.

Front

What happens at mid-ocean ridges?

Back

New oceanic crust is formed as tectonic plates pull apart, pushing older crust outward.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What is seafloor spreading?

Back

The process by which new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges and older crust moves away.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What are divergent boundaries?

Back

Places where tectonic plates move apart from each other, often resulting in seafloor spreading.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Front

What is the significance of younger crust near mid-ocean ridges?

Back

It indicates that new crust is being formed over time, supporting the theory of Plate Tectonics.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What is a tectonic plate?

Back

A large, rigid piece of the Earth's lithosphere that moves and interacts with other plates.