Plate Tectonics

Front

What is Pangea?

Back

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

Front

What type of plate boundary forms a fault?

Back

A fault is formed by the movement of a Transform plate boundary.

Front

How is new crust formed without increasing Earth's surface area?

Back

New crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges while old crust is destroyed at subduction zones, maintaining the Earth's surface area.

Front

What evidence supported Wegener's theory of continental drift?

Back

Wegener's proposal was supported by rock, fossil, and climate data.

Front

What does the theory of continental drift state?

Back

The theory states that the continents were once joined in a supercontinent and have moved apart over time.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Tectonic plates are large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact with each other.

Front

What is a convergent plate boundary?

Back

A convergent plate boundary is where two tectonic plates move towards each other, often causing one plate to be forced beneath another.

Front

What is a divergent plate boundary?

Back

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

Front

What is seafloor spreading?

Back

Seafloor spreading is the process by which new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges as tectonic plates pull apart.

Front

What is subduction?

Back

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