Plate Tectonics

Front

What is Plate Tectonics?

Back

The theory that explains the structure and movement of the Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates.

Front

What is subduction?

Back

The process where one tectonic plate moves under another plate and sinks into the mantle.

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What is Pangaea?

Back

The name of the supercontinent that existed around 335 million years ago, which eventually split into the continents we know today.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

A type of plate boundary where two plates slide past each other, often causing earthquakes.

Front

What happens when two continental plates collide?

Back

They create mountains due to the compression and uplift of the Earth's crust.

Front

What are oceanic trenches?

Back

Deep underwater valleys formed at convergent boundaries where one oceanic plate subducts beneath another plate.

Front

What is a divergent boundary?

Back

A plate boundary where two tectonic plates move away from each other, often creating new crust.

Front

What is convection in the context of plate tectonics?

Back

The process of heat transfer in the mantle that causes the movement of tectonic plates.

Front

What is the San Andreas Fault?

Back

A transform fault located in California where the North American and Pacific plates meet, known for its frequent earthquakes.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

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