Important Vocabulary for Continental Drift Lesson

Front

Continental Drift

Back

The gradual movement of Earth's continents across the ocean floor over geological time.

Front

Plate Tectonics

Back

The theory that Earth's outer shell is made up of large pieces (plates) that move and interact with each other.

Front

Pangaea

Back

A supercontinent that existed about 300 million years ago, when all the Earth's continents were joined together as one landmass.

Front

Crust

Back

The outermost layer of the Earth, made up of solid rock.

Front

Mantle

Back

The thick layer of the Earth below the crust, made of hot, semi-solid rock.

Front

Tectonic Plates

Back

Large pieces of Earth's lithosphere (the crust and upper mantle) that move and interact with each other.

Front

Fossil

Back

The remains or traces of ancient plants and animals preserved in rock.

Front

Sea-Floor Spreading

Back

The process by which new oceanic crust forms at mid-ocean ridges and pushes the older crust away.

Front

Mid-Ocean Ridge

Back

An underwater mountain range where tectonic plates are pulling apart and new crust is being formed.

Front

Subduction

Back

The process where one tectonic plate slides under another, usually causing earthquakes or volcanic activity.