Plate Tectonics

The hypothesis proposed by Wegener that continents move very slowly over million of years. 

• Pangaea
• rock
• continental drift 

mountain ridges in the middle of the sea floor 

• lithospheric plate 
• ocean trench
• mid ocean ridge 

a natural, solid mixture of mineral crystal particles 

• magma 
• rock 
• sea floor spreading 

ancient supercontinent that started to slowly started to drift apart about 200 million years ago. 

• continental drift 
• sea floor spreading 
• Pangaea 

the process by which new seafloor is continuously made at mid-ocean ridge. 

• mid-ocean ridges 
• continental drift 
• seafloor spreading 

large brittle pieces of Earth's outer shell 

• magma 
• rock 
• lithospheric plate

deep parts of the seafloor

• ocean trenches 
• rock 
• plate tectonics 

theory that explains how lithospheric plates  move and cause major geologic features and events on Earth 

• plate tectonics 
• continental drift 
• sea floor spreading 

a plate that sinks back into the mantle 

• slab 
• mid ocean ridge 
• lithospheric plate 

molten, liquid rock material found underground 

• rock 
• magma 
• mid-ocean ridges