Review Flashcard

Front

What is a tectonic plate?

Back

A tectonic plate is a massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock that makes up the Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into several plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere.

Front

Name the tectonic plate that includes North America.

Back

North American Plate.

Front

What type of heat transfer causes water to boil?

Back

Convection.

Front

What is the evidence used by Wegener to support his theory of continental drift?

Back

Wegener used evidence such as continents and fossils fitting together like puzzle pieces, glacier scars, and mountain ranges lining up across continents.

Front

What geological feature is formed at a mid-ocean ridge?

Back

A mid-ocean ridge is formed by the upwelling of magma from the mantle, creating new oceanic crust as tectonic plates pull apart.

Front

What geological feature is associated with ocean trenches?

Back

Ocean trenches are deep, narrow depressions in the ocean floor formed by the subduction of one tectonic plate beneath another.

Front

What is convection?

Back

Convection is the transfer of heat through the movement of fluids (liquids or gases) caused by differences in temperature and density.

Front

What is the significance of fossil evidence in supporting the theory of continental drift?

Back

Fossil evidence shows that similar species existed on continents that are now separated by oceans, suggesting they were once connected.

Front

What happens at a fault line?

Back

At a fault line, tectonic plates slide past each other, which can cause earthquakes.

Front

What is the difference between oceanic and continental plates?

Back

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