Plate Tectonics

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What is Plate Tectonics?

Back

The theory that explains the structure and movement of the Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere.

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What is Continental Drift?

Back

The hypothesis that continents have moved over geological time and were once joined together in a supercontinent called Pangea.

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What is a Convergent Boundary?

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A tectonic boundary where two plates collide, often causing one plate to be forced beneath the other, leading to mountain formation or volcanic activity.

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What is a Divergent Boundary?

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A tectonic boundary where two plates move apart from each other, leading to the formation of new crust as magma rises to the surface.

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What is a Transform Boundary?

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A tectonic boundary where two plates slide past each other horizontally, often causing earthquakes.

Front

What evidence supports the theory of Continental Drift?

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Similar fossils found on different continents, matching geological formations, and the fit of continental coastlines.

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What is Pangea?

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

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What is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?

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An underwater mountain range formed by divergent tectonic plates, where new oceanic crust is created.

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What is subduction?

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The process by which one tectonic plate is forced under another, often leading to volcanic activity and the formation of deep ocean trenches.

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What are tectonic plates?

Back

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