Chapter 9 Plate Tectonics

Front

What is a mid-ocean ridge?

Back

A long chain of mountains under the ocean.

Front

What technology is used to map the ocean floor?

Back

Sonar.

Front

What is the primary source of heat for mantle convection?

Back

Radioactive isotopes in the mantle.

Front

What did the theory of plate tectonics prove about Wegener's hypothesis?

Back

It was correct.

Front

What drives the movement of Earth’s lithospheric plates according to the theory of plate tectonics?

Back

Convection currents in the mantle.

Front

Define plate tectonics.

Back

The theory explaining the movement of the Earth's lithosphere which is divided into tectonic plates.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

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

Front

What is subduction?

Back

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

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates slide past each other horizontally.

Front

What geological features are formed at divergent boundaries?

Back

Mid-ocean ridges and rift valleys.