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Definition
the solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle
We live on part of the lithosphere. |
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Definition
the lower layer of the crust
Scientists have not been able to reach the asthenosphere. |
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The site where tectonic plates move apart and new oceanic crust is created.
Example: an underwater mountain range |
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any of several large pieces of the Earth's lithosphere which participate in plate tectonics
Example: The Eurasian plate |
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Term
Continental drift
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Definition
Continental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other.
The theory that continents 'drift' was first suggested by Abraham Ortelius in 1596 and was fully developed by Alfred Wegener in 1912 |
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Theory of Plate Tectonics
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Definition
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory which describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere.
The Earth's plates were once formed together to form 1 big supercontinent called Pangea. |
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Term
Divergent Boundary
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Definition
A plate boundary where new crust is being created as the old crust on each side moves away
Example: Mid-Atlantic Ridge |
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Convergent Boundry
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Definition
An area on the Earth's suface where two tectonic plates come together.
Example: Alpine Fault of New Zealand |
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Transform Boundary
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a fault which runs along the boundary of a tectonic plate.
Example: San Andreas Fault Zone |
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a valley with steep sides; formed by a rift in the earth's crust
Example: Russia's Baikal Rift Valley |
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Definition
a point of relatively intense heat or radiation
Example: Tthe Ring of Fire |
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a geological process in which one edge of a crustal plate is forced sideways and downward into the mantle below another plate
Example: earthquakes |
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Convection Current
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Definition
Cycle of heating, rising, cooling, and sinking that is thought to be the force behind plate tectonics.
Example: breezes over land masses |
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a condition in which the earth's surface is worn away by the action of water and wind
Example: The Grand Canyon |
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