Plate Tectonics

Front

What is Plate Tectonics?

Back

Plate tectonics is the theory that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle.

Front

What happens to cool air in convection?

Back

Cool air sinks.

Front

What happens to warm air in convection?

Back

Warm air rises.

Front

What type of boundary is the San Andreas fault?

Back

The San Andreas fault is an example of a transform boundary.

Front

What causes the movement of Earth's plates?

Back

Convection currents within the mantle cause the Earth's plates to move.

Front

Define convection.

Back

Convection is the transfer of heat through the movement of fluids (liquids and gases) due to differences in temperature and density.

Front

What are the three types of plate boundaries?

Back

The three types of plate boundaries are divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries.

Front

What occurs at a divergent boundary?

Back

At a divergent boundary, tectonic plates move apart, leading to the formation of new crust as magma rises to the surface.

Front

What occurs at a convergent boundary?

Back

At a convergent boundary, tectonic plates move towards each other, which can cause one plate to be forced beneath another, leading to subduction.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

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