Plate Tectonics Basics Review

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What is Plate Tectonics?

Back

The theory that explains the 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 Pangaea?

Back

A supercontinent that existed around 335 million years ago, where all continents were joined together.

Front

What evidence supports the theory of Plate Tectonics?

Back

Fossil distribution, geological similarities, and the fit of continental outlines.

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What is a tectonic plate?

Back

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

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What is the San Andreas Fault?

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A major fault line in California that marks the boundary between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates.

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What is GPS tracking in geology?

Back

A technology used to measure the movement of tectonic plates with high precision.

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What are glacier scars?

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Marks left on the Earth's surface by glaciers, indicating past glacial activity and climate conditions.

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What is continental drift?

Back

The gradual movement of continents across the Earth's surface over geological time.

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What is subduction?

Back

The process where one tectonic plate moves under another and sinks into the mantle.

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What is seafloor spreading?

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