Plate Tectonics Vocab

A theory stating that the earth's surface is broken into plates that move.

• Plate Tectonics

• Pangaea

• Continental Drift

• convection current

A supercontinent containing all of Earth's land that existed about 225 million years ago.

• Plate Tectonics

• Pangaea

• Continental Drift

• convection current

The hypothesis that the continents slowly move across Earth's surface.

• Plate Tectonics

• Pangaea

• Continental Drift

• convection current

a current caused by the rising of heated fluid and sinking of cooled fluid

• Plate Tectonics

• Pangaea

• Continental Drift

• convection current

The boundary between tectonic plates that are sliding past each other horizontally

• Transform Boundary

• Convergent Boundary

• Divergent Boundary

• subduction

A plate boundary where two plates move toward each other.

• Transform Boundary

• Convergent Boundary

• Divergent Boundary

• subduction

The boundary between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other.

• Transform Boundary

• Convergent Boundary

• Divergent Boundary

• subduction

One plate going under another plate

• Transform Boundary

• Convergent Boundary

• Divergent Boundary

• subduction

The process by which new oceanic crust forms as magma rises towards the surface and solidifies at divergent boundaries.

• Sea-floor spreading

• tsunami

• volcano

• earthquake

A giant wave usually caused by an earthquake beneath the ocean floor.

• Sea-floor spreading

• tsunami

• volcano

• earthquake