Plate Tectonics Flashcard

Front

What is the name of the supercontinent proposed by Alfred Wegener?

Back

Pangaea

Front

What are the three main types of plate boundaries?

Back

Divergent, Convergent, Transform

Front

What happens at a divergent plate boundary?

Back

The tectonic plates move away from each other.

Front

What are some pieces of evidence that support the theory of plate tectonics?

Back

Matching coastlines of continents, distribution of fossils and rock types, occurrence of earthquakes and volcanoes along plate boundaries, and magnetic striping on the ocean floor.

Front

What are some effects of earthquakes caused by plate tectonics?

Back

Ground shaking, tsunamis, landslides, and volcanic eruptions.

Front

What is the lithosphere?

Back

The rigid outer layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.

Front

What is the asthenosphere?

Back

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

Front

What is a convergent plate boundary?

Back

A boundary where two tectonic plates collide, often forming mountains or causing subduction.

Front

What is a transform plate boundary?

Back

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

Front

What is subduction?

Back

The process where one tectonic plate sinks below another into the mantle.