Plate Tectonics

Front

What is Wegener’s continental drift hypothesis?

Back

Wegener’s continental drift hypothesis states that all the continents once joined together to form one major supercontinent.

Front

What evidence supports Wegener’s hypothesis of continental drift?

Back

Fossils of the same organism have been found on different continents.

Front

What geological feature is formed at a divergent boundary between two continental plates?

Back

A rift valley.

Front

How long ago did the hypothesis of continental drift suggest that continents were joined?

Back

Two hundred million years ago.

Front

What are the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia an example of?

Back

A volcanic island arc.

Front

What is a tectonic plate?

Back

A tectonic plate is a massive slab of solid rock that makes up the Earth's lithosphere and moves over the semi-fluid asthenosphere.

Front

What is the theory of plate tectonics?

Back

The theory of plate tectonics explains the movement of the Earth's plates and how they interact at their boundaries, leading to geological phenomena.

Front

What is a convergent boundary?

Back

A convergent boundary is where two tectonic plates move towards each other, often resulting in one plate being forced below another.

Front

What geological features can form at convergent boundaries?

Back

Mountains, deep ocean trenches, and volcanic arcs can form at convergent boundaries.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

A transform boundary is where two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally, causing earthquakes.