Earth Science Ch. 10 Plate Tectonics Flashcard

Front

The hypothesis that all the continents once were joined as a single supercontinent and have since drifted apart is called __.

Back

continental drift

Front

This process continually adds new crust to the ocean floor along both sides of the mid-ocean ridge.

Back

seafloor spreading

Front

Subduction occurs where the oceanic crust bends down toward the mantle at a(n) __.

Back

deep-ocean trench

Front

The broken pieces of the lithosphere that float on top of the asthenosphere are called ___.

Back

plates

Front

To support his hypothesis, Alfred Wegener provided evidence using traces of ancient organisms preserved in rock called __.

Back

fossils

Front

Wegener believed that the continents had once been joined in one landmass called ___.

Back

Pangaea

Front

The formation of volcanoes and mountain ranges can be explained by the theory of __.

Back

plate tectonics

Front

A continental plate collides with an oceanic plate at what type of boundary?

Back

convergent

Front

Oceanic crust near the mid-ocean ridge is __ than oceanic crust farther away from the ridge.

Back

younger

Front

Which of the following was NOT used to provide evidence for Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift? Options: fossils, rock formations/samples, climate, magnetic stripes

Back

magnetic stripes