Science - Planet Earth Continental Drift

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What is a fault?

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A break in Earth’s crust where the rocks on either side have moved.

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What is sea floor spreading?

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The process by which the rocks on either side of the mid-ocean ridge slowly pull away from each other, allowing molten rock to rise, solidify, and form new seafloor.

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What is plate tectonics?

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The scientific theory that the lithosphere is made up of rigid pieces, called tectonic plates, that move across Earth’s surface.

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What is a hypothesis?

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A prediction or statement based on limited evidence that can be tested by observation and experimentation.

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What is a scientific theory?

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A well-established group of ideas or models that is supported by a large amount of evidence and that can be used to explain many different phenomena.

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What are tectonic plates?

Back

Rigid pieces of the lithosphere that move across Earth’s surface.

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What is subduction?

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The process where one tectonic plate moves under another and is forced into the mantle.

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What is the lithosphere?

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

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What is the mid-ocean ridge?

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An underwater mountain range formed by plate tectonics and sea floor spreading.

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What is continental drift?

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The gradual movement of continents across the Earth's surface through geological time.