Plate Tectonics

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What is Plate Tectonics?

Back

The theory that explains the structure and movement of the Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What is Continental Drift?

Back

The hypothesis that continents have moved over geological time from a single supercontinent (Pangaea) to their current locations.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What evidence supports the theory of Continental Drift?

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Fossil evidence, geological similarities, and climate data indicating that continents were once connected.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

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What is Pangaea?

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A supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, where all continents were joined together.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

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What are tectonic plates?

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Large, rigid pieces of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

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What is a Transform Boundary?

Back

A type of plate boundary where two plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes, like the San Andreas Fault.

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What is a Converging Boundary?

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A plate boundary where two plates move toward each other, often causing one plate to be forced beneath another, leading to subduction.

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NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

NGSS.HS-ESS2-1

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What is a Diverging Boundary?

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A plate boundary where two plates move apart, allowing magma to rise and create new crust, such as at mid-ocean ridges.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What is Sea-Floor Spreading?

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The process by which new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges as tectonic plates pull apart.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What are Earthquakes?

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Sudden releases of energy in the Earth's crust that create seismic waves, often occurring at plate boundaries.

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NGSS.MS-ESS3-2