Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes

Front

What determines the viscosity of magma?

Back

The amount of silica in the magma and its temperature.

Front

What is Pangaea?

Back

The name of the supercontinent that existed millions of years ago.

Front

What causes seafloor spreading?

Back

Molten material beneath Earth's crust rises to the surface.

Front

What is seismology?

Back

Branch of science that studies earthquakes.

Front

What supports the hypothesis of continental drift?

Back

The presence of the same fossils on several continents.

Front

What is the lithosphere?

Back

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

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact with each other.

Front

What is an earthquake?

Back

The shaking of the Earth's surface caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust.

Front

What is the focus of an earthquake?

Back

The point within the Earth where an earthquake originates.

Front

What is the epicenter of an earthquake?

Back

The point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus.