Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics Review

Front

What is Continental Drift?

Back

The theory that continents have moved over geological time and were once joined together in a single landmass called Pangaea.

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What are tectonic plates?

Back

Large pieces of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries, causing geological activity.

Front

What is the Lithosphere?

Back

The outermost, rigid layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle.

Front

What is the Astenosphere?

Back

The semi-fluid layer of the mantle beneath the lithosphere that allows tectonic plates to move.

Front

What is a convergent boundary?

Back

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates collide, often causing one plate to be forced beneath the other.

Front

What is a divergent boundary?

Back

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates move away from each other, leading to the formation of new crust.

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What is a transform boundary?

Back

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates slide past each other horizontally.

Front

What is a hotspot?

Back

A location in the mantle where heat rises and can cause volcanic activity, independent of tectonic plate boundaries.

Front

What is Pangaea?

Back

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

Front

What is magma?

Back

Molten rock located beneath the Earth's surface.