STEMscopedia: Plate Tectonics & Vocab

Front

What is an erratic rock?

Back

An erratic is a rock that has been transported from its original location by glacial ice and is found in a different area.

Front

What is plate tectonics?

Back

Plate tectonics is the theory that the Earth's crust is divided into large pieces called tectonic plates that slowly move on the semi-fluid mantle beneath them.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What are striations?

Back

Striations are scratches or grooves worn into bedrock from the abrasion caused by moving glaciers.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Front

What is the mantle?

Back

The mantle is the solid layer of Earth located between the crust and the core, composed of dense silicate rocks, where convection currents occur.

Front

What is a tectonic plate?

Back

A tectonic plate is a huge piece of the Earth's crust that moves slowly on the upper, ductile part of the mantle.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What is continental drift?

Back

Continental drift is the theory that continents have moved over geological time and were once joined together in a single landmass.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What is seafloor spreading?

Back

Seafloor spreading is the process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and slowly moves away from the ridge.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What is a kame?

Back

A kame is a hill or mound of sand and gravel deposited by a glacier.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Front

What is a moraine?

Back

A moraine is an accumulation of dirt and rocks that have been pushed along by a glacier.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Front

What is plucking in geology?

Back

Plucking is the process by which a glacier picks up rocks and sediment as it moves.