Continental Drift Practice (pages 13-16 in the note packet)

Front

What is Continental Drift?

Back

The theory that continents have moved over geological time from a single supercontinent to their current locations.

Front

What evidence supports the theory of Continental Drift?

Back

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

Front

What is the significance of Mesosaurus fossils in relation to Continental Drift?

Back

Mesosaurus fossils found in both South America and Africa suggest these continents were once connected.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact at their boundaries.

Front

What is the asthenosphere?

Back

A semi-fluid layer of the mantle beneath the lithosphere that allows tectonic plates to move.

Front

What is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?

Back

An underwater mountain range formed by divergent tectonic plates, where new oceanic crust is created.

Front

What are convection currents?

Back

Circulating movements in the mantle caused by the heat from the Earth's core, driving plate tectonics.

Front

What is a divergent boundary?

Back

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates move away from each other, often resulting in seafloor spreading.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

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

Front

What is a convergent boundary?

Back

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates collide, often forming mountains or causing subduction.