Plate Tectonics 2024 M

Front

What is the Pacific Plate?

Back

The Pacific Plate is the largest tectonic plate, located beneath the Pacific Ocean, and is involved in many geological activities, including the formation of the Ring of Fire volcanoes.

Front

What are the consequences of an erupting volcano?

Back

An erupting volcano can cause various disasters, including tsunamis, earthquakes, and ash fall, which can lead to significant environmental and societal impacts.

Front

How do mountains form?

Back

Mountains form primarily through the collision of tectonic plates, which can cause the Earth's crust to fold and uplift.

Front

What is the Ring of Fire?

Back

The Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped zone of high seismic and volcanic activity that encircles the Pacific Ocean, characterized by numerous volcanoes and earthquakes.

Front

What is an Extinction Level Event (E.L.E.)?

Back

An Extinction Level Event (E.L.E.) is a catastrophic event that leads to the widespread extinction of species, such as the potential global effects of a supervolcano eruption.

Front

What happens at divergent plate boundaries?

Back

At divergent plate boundaries, tectonic plates move away from each other, leading to the formation of new crust, often seen in mid-ocean ridges.

Front

What is subduction?

Back

Subduction is the process where one tectonic plate moves under another and sinks into the mantle, often causing volcanic activity and earthquakes.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Tectonic plates are large, rigid pieces of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries, causing geological phenomena.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

A transform boundary is where two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally, leading to earthquakes along faults.

Front

What is the significance of the Nazca Plate?

Back

The Nazca Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate located in the eastern Pacific Ocean, known for its role in the formation of the Andes mountains and its interaction with the South American Plate.