Earth Layers & Plate Tectonics

Front

What is the Earth's crust?

Back

The layer of rock that surrounds the Earth, it is the outermost layer.

Front

What is the mantle?

Back

The layer that rests below the Earth’s crust, it is the largest of Earth’s layers and is composed of molten rock.

Front

What is the outer core?

Back

The layer of the Earth that is liquid and composed mainly of iron and nickel, located beneath the mantle.

Front

What is the inner core?

Back

The solid innermost layer of the Earth, composed primarily of iron and nickel.

Front

What is a tectonic plate?

Back

A massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock that makes up the Earth's lithosphere.

Front

What is a divergent boundary?

Back

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates move away from each other, often forming rift valleys or mid-ocean ridges.

Front

What is a convergent boundary?

Back

A tectonic plate boundary where two plates collide, often forming mountains or volcanic arcs.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

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

Front

What is the San Andreas Fault?

Back

A transform boundary located in California where the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate slide past each other.

Front

What is a rift valley?

Back

A lowland region formed by the divergence of tectonic plates, often filled with water.