Reference Tables Page 5

Front

What is a tectonic plate?

Back

A tectonic plate is a massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock that makes up the Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into several plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath.

Front

What are the three main types of tectonic plate boundaries?

Back

The three main types of tectonic plate boundaries are divergent (plates move apart), convergent (plates move towards each other), and transform (plates slide past each other).

Front

What is a divergent boundary?

Back

A divergent boundary is where two tectonic plates move away from each other, often resulting in the formation of new crust, such as mid-ocean ridges.

Front

What is a convergent boundary?

Back

A convergent boundary is where two tectonic plates collide, leading to one plate being forced beneath another, often creating mountains or trenches.

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

A transform boundary is where two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally, which can cause earthquakes.

Front

What is the significance of the Nazca Plate?

Back

The Nazca Plate is significant because it is an oceanic plate that is currently subducting beneath the South American Plate, leading to volcanic activity and the formation of the Andes mountains.

Front

What is a trench in tectonic terms?

Back

A trench is a deep, narrow depression in the ocean floor that forms at convergent boundaries where one tectonic plate is being subducted beneath another.

Front

What is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?

Back

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a divergent boundary located in the Atlantic Ocean where the Eurasian and North American plates are moving apart, creating new oceanic crust.

Front

What is the Peru-Chile Trench?

Back

The Peru-Chile Trench, also known as the Atacama Trench, is a subduction zone located off the coast of Peru and Chile, marking the boundary between the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate.

Front

What is the role of tectonic plates in earthquakes?

Back

Tectonic plates can cause earthquakes when they interact at their boundaries, especially at transform boundaries where they slide past each other, creating stress that is released as seismic waves.