Flashcard Continental Drift and Relative Dating

Front

What is relative age?

Back

An approximate age of a rock/fossil compared to others (what is younger/older).

Front

What was the theory that Alfred Wegener proposed?

Back

Theory of Continental Drift.

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Harry Hess proposed which theory?

Back

Theory of Seafloor Spreading.

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What is an igneous intrusion?

Back

Magma that has cooled and solidified beneath the Earth's surface.

Front

What is the order of relative ages of the following features from oldest to youngest: Limestone, Siltstone, Fault, Basalt?

Back

Limestone, Siltstone, Fault, Basalt.

Front

What is the Theory of Plate Tectonics?

Back

A scientific theory that describes the large-scale motion of Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates.

Front

What is continental drift?

Back

The gradual movement of the continents across the earth's surface through geological time.

Front

What evidence supports the theory of continental drift?

Back

Fossil distribution, geological similarities, and the fit of continental coastlines.

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.

Front

What is a fault in geology?

Back

A fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock.