Continental Drift & Plate Tectonics Flashcard Review

Front

What does the theory of continental drift state?

Back

The continents were once joined in a super-continent and have moved over time.

Front

Which type of information was NOT collected by Wegener to support his continental drift hypothesis?

Back

Seafloor magnetic data.

Front

What two specific continents fit together most noticeably?

Back

South America and Africa.

Front

What are the main causes of convection currents in the asthenosphere?

Back

Density and temperature.

Front

The Theory of Continental Drift states that Pangaea broke apart and the continents 'drifted' away from each other. True or False?

Back

True.

Front

What is Pangaea?

Back

A supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras.

Front

What evidence supports the theory of continental drift?

Back

Fossil distribution, geological similarities, and glacial deposits.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

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

Front

What is the asthenosphere?

Back

A semi-fluid layer of the Earth's mantle that allows tectonic plates to move.

Front

What is seafloor spreading?

Back

The process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and older crust is pushed away.