Investigating the Rate of Plate Movement

Front

Plate Noun

---

[playt]

Back

Plate

---

A massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock that makes up Earth's outer layer and moves over the mantle.

---

Example: The diagram shows tectonic plates moving over the mantle, illustrating how Earth's outer layer shifts.

Front

Outer Layer Noun

---

[ow-ter lay-er]

Back

Outer Layer

---

The rigid, outermost shell of a planet, also known as the lithosphere, which is broken into tectonic plates.

---

Example: The Earth's crust is the rigid outer layer, forming tectonic plates.

Front

Mantle Noun

---

[man-tuhl]

Back

Mantle

---

The layer of the Earth located between the crust (outer layer) and the core, on which the tectonic plates float.

---

Example: The mantle is the layer between the Earth's crust and core, where tectonic plates float.

Front

Plate Tectonics Noun

---

[playt tek-ton-iks]

Back

Plate Tectonics

---

The scientific theory that Earth's outer layer is made up of large, moving pieces called plates.

---

Example: The image shows Earth's plates moving, illustrating how plate tectonics shape the Earth's surface.

Front

Plate Boundary Noun

---

[playt bown-duh-ree]

Back

Plate Boundary

---

The area where two or more tectonic plates meet.

---

Example: The image shows tectonic plates meeting with arrows indicating their movement direction.

Front

Convergent Adjective

---

[kun-vur-juhnt]

Back

Convergent

---

A type of plate boundary where two plates are moving toward each other, often resulting in one plate sliding beneath the other.

---

Example: The image shows two tectonic plates converging, with the oceanic plate moving under the continental plate, forming a trench.

Front

Divergent Adjective

---

[dai-vur-juhnt]

Back

Divergent

---

A type of plate boundary where two plates are moving away from each other, allowing magma to rise and form new crust.

---

Example: Two oceanic plates move apart, and magma rises to form new crust.

Front

Mid-ocean ridge Noun

---

[mid-oh-shun rij]

Back

Mid-ocean ridge

---

An underwater mountain range formed by plate tectonics where new ocean floor is created at a divergent boundary.

---

Example: Magma rises at a divergent boundary, forming new oceanic crust and creating a mid-ocean ridge.

Front

Trench Noun

---

[trench]

Back

Trench

---

A long, deep depression in the ocean floor formed where one tectonic plate is forced to slide under another.

---

Example: The image shows a trench formed as the oceanic crust slides under the continental crust, with arrows indicating plate movement.

Front

Earthquake Noun

---

[urth-kweyk]

Back

Earthquake

---

A sudden shaking of the ground caused by the movement of tectonic plates.

---

Example: Arrows show tectonic plates moving, causing the ground to shake during an earthquake.