Chapter 5 Plate Tectonics

Front

What are the three types of plate boundaries?

Back

Convergent, Divergent, Transform.

Front

What is a convergent boundary?

Back

A boundary where two tectonic plates move toward each other, often causing one plate to be forced beneath the other.

Front

What is the role of convection currents in plate tectonics?

Back

Convection currents in the Earth's mantle drive the movement of tectonic plates.

Front

What is the asthenosphere?

Back

A semi-fluid layer of the mantle located beneath the lithosphere, allowing tectonic plates to move.

Front

What is the lithosphere?

Back

The rigid outer layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and the upper mantle.

Front

What geological features are formed at convergent boundaries?

Back

Mountains, deep ocean trenches, and volcanic arcs.

Front

What is the difference between oceanic and continental plates?

Back

Oceanic plates are denser and thinner than continental plates, which are thicker and less dense.

Front

What is the significance of Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift?

Back

It proposed that continents were once joined and have since drifted apart, leading to the modern configuration of continents.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

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

Front

What is subduction?

Back

The process by which one tectonic plate is forced under another, often leading to volcanic activity.