Plate Tectonics & layers of the earth

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

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

Front

Where are tectonic plates located?

Back

In the lithosphere, which is the outer layer of the Earth.

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 is a convergent plate boundary?

Back

A boundary where two tectonic plates move toward each other.

Front

What happens at a divergent plate boundary?

Back

Two tectonic plates move away from each other, creating new crust.

Front

What is a transform plate boundary?

Back

A boundary where two tectonic plates slide past each other.

Front

What causes the movement of tectonic plates?

Back

Convection currents in the mantle, driven by heat from the Earth's core.

Front

What is continental drift?

Back

The theory that continents have moved over geological time and were once joined together.

Front

What is subduction?

Back

The process where one tectonic plate is forced under another at a convergent boundary.