8R Flashcard: Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics

Front

What is continental drift?

Back

The theory that continents have moved over geological time and were once joined together in a single landmass.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Large sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact with each other.

Front

What is a mid-ocean ridge?

Back

An underwater mountain range formed by plate tectonics where new oceanic crust is created.

Front

What is a subduction zone?

Back

A region where one tectonic plate moves under another, leading to recycling of crust.

Front

What evidence did Alfred Wegener use to support his continental drift hypothesis?

Back

Fossil evidence, geological formations, and climatic similarities across continents.

Front

What is the lithosphere?

Back

The rigid outer layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.

Front

What is the asthenosphere?

Back

The semi-fluid layer beneath the lithosphere that allows tectonic plates to move.

Front

What geological feature is formed at convergent boundaries?

Back

Mountain ranges, deep ocean trenches, and volcanic arcs.

Front

What is the significance of the fit of continents?

Back

It suggests that continents were once connected and have drifted apart.

Front

What is the role of earthquakes in plate tectonics?

Back

Earthquakes occur at plate boundaries due to the movement and interaction of tectonic plates.