8th Grade Unit 5 Plate Tectonics Vocabulary

Front

What is a Rift Valley?

Back

A lowland region formed at a divergent boundary on land.

Front

What is Plate Tectonics?

Back

The theory that Earth's surface is broken into large pieces called plates that are constantly moving and changing at a very slow rate.

Front

Who is Alfred Wegener?

Back

A German scientist best known for his theory of continental drift, which states that the continents were once connected and have since moved apart.

Front

What is the Asthenosphere?

Back

The semi-fluid layer beneath the lithosphere on which tectonic plates move.

Front

Who is Harry Hess?

Back

An American geologist who confirmed Wegener’s ideas of continental drift by using the evidence of seafloor spreading.

Front

What is Sea Floor Spreading?

Back

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

Front

What are Convergent Boundaries?

Back

Boundaries where two tectonic plates collide, often forming mountains or causing earthquakes.

Front

What is a Mid-Ocean Ridge?

Back

An underwater mountain range formed by plate tectonics, where sea floor spreading occurs.

Front

What is Pangaea?

Back

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

Front

What is a Transform Boundary?

Back

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