Plate Tectonics Concepts and Definitions

Tectonic Plate

• the broken up pieces of the lithosphere
• hypothesis that the continents once formed a single land mass, broke up, and drifted to their present locaitons
• the landmass that existed when all continents were joined
• places where tectonic plates meet

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Sea-Floor Spreading

• the broken up pieces of the lithosphere
• consists of all of the crust as well as the upper, rigid part of the mantle
• boundary formed by collision of 2 plates (collide, crash, collision)
• process of new oceanic crust forming as magma rises toward the surface and solidifies

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

Continental Drift

• hypothesis that the continents once formed a single land mass, broke up, and drifted to their present locaitons
• process of new oceanic crust forming as magma rises toward the surface and solidifies
• boundary formed by collision of 2 plates (collide, crash, collision)
• boundary between 2 plates moving away from each other (separate, divide)

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Pangea

• the landmass that existed when all continents were joined
• theory explaining how tectonic plates move and change shape
• ring of volcanoes around the Pacific Plate
• hypothesis that the continents once formed a single land mass, broke up, and drifted to their present locaitons

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Subduction

• hypothesis that the continents once formed a single land mass, broke up, and drifted to their present locaitons
• consists of all of the crust as well as the upper, rigid part of the mantle
• boundary between 2 plates that are scraping past each other (slide, scrape)
• occurs when 2 tectonic plates collide, and one plate moves under the other & sinks into the mantle

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Theory of Plate Tectonics

• boundary between 2 plates that are scraping past each other (slide, scrape)
• occurs when 2 tectonic plates collide, and one plate moves under the other & sinks into the mantle
• theory explaining how tectonic plates move and change shape
• the landmass that existed when all continents were joined

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Boundaries

• the landmass that existed when all continents were joined
• places where tectonic plates meet
• consists of all of the crust as well as the upper, rigid part of the mantle
• the broken up pieces of the lithosphere

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Convergent Boundary

• German scientists who developed the theory of continental drift
• occurs when 2 tectonic plates collide, and one plate moves under the other & sinks into the mantle
• boundary formed by collision of 2 plates (collide, crash, collision)
• process of new oceanic crust forming as magma rises toward the surface and solidifies

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Divergent Boundary

• hypothesis that the continents once formed a single land mass, broke up, and drifted to their present locaitons
• boundary between 2 plates moving away from each other (separate, divide)
• consists of all of the crust as well as the upper, rigid part of the mantle
• boundary formed by collision of 2 plates (collide, crash, collision)

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Transform Boundary

• process of new oceanic crust forming as magma rises toward the surface and solidifies
• the landmass that existed when all continents were joined
• boundary between 2 plates that are scraping past each other (slide, scrape)
• German scientists who developed the theory of continental drift