Plate Tectonics Webquest

Front

What is a transform boundary?

Back

A transform boundary is a type of tectonic plate boundary where two plates slide past each other horizontally, causing earthquakes.

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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 at mid-ocean ridges.

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What is a convergent boundary?

Back

A convergent boundary is where two tectonic plates collide, leading to one plate being forced beneath the other, which can create mountains or trenches.

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What is the lithosphere?

Back

The lithosphere is the rigid outer layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle, and is broken into tectonic plates.

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What is the asthenosphere?

Back

The asthenosphere is the semi-fluid layer of the upper mantle beneath the lithosphere, allowing tectonic plates to move.

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What causes earthquakes?

Back

Earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of stress that has built up at fault lines, resulting in the movement of tectonic plates.

Front

What is a fault line?

Back

A fault line is a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock, which can lead to earthquakes when stress is released.

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What is the East African Rift Valley?

Back

The East African Rift Valley is a geological feature formed by a divergent boundary where the African tectonic plate is splitting into two smaller plates.

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What is the role of the mantle in plate tectonics?

Back

The mantle, particularly the asthenosphere, provides the heat and flow necessary for the movement of tectonic plates.

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What is subduction?

Back

Subduction is the process where one tectonic plate is forced under another, often leading to volcanic activity and the formation of deep ocean trenches.