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Scientists who study the Earth |
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The thin (5-40 km), rocky outermost layer of Earth's surface |
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Wave of energy generated at the focus of an earthquake that travels through earth. |
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Lies below the crust and is the thickest (3,000km) layer of Earth's interior. |
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The plastic-like layer found in the upper mantle, and it lies 100km to 250km below the surface. Also, plates of the lithosphere float on top of this layer. |
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The brittle and rigid, outer layer of Earth formed of the crust and upper part of the mantle. |
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The movement of thermal energy (heat) in a fluid. Convection currents inside Earth help drive plate motion. |
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The idea that continents are moving very slow, parallel to Earth's surface. The hypothesis was supported by the find of rock structures and fossils. -is an idea that suggested the continents fit together like a puzzle. |
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One big landmass, ancient supercontinent that began breaking up about 200 million year ago. Pangaea means "all land". |
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Evidence for Continental Drift |
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1. Shape of continents 2. fossils 3. Mountain ranges and rock types 4. Climate data Be prepared to write a paragraph about this! |
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Long mountain range in the middle of the seafloor where new oceanic crust forms, and has the youngest rocks. |
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Lava flows through the cracks along the mid-ocean ridge,cools, and forms new seafloor. |
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Process by which new seafloor is made (molten material beneath Earth's crust rises to the surface)and then moves sideways away from mid-ocean ridges (176) -Explains how new rocks are formed in the ocean. |
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Large brittle pieces of Earth's outer shell. |
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Divergent Plate Boundaries |
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Boundary where two lithospheric plates are moving apart. |
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Occurs when two continental plates are being pulled apart. |
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Convergent Plate Boundaries |
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Form when two lithospheric plates move toward each other. |
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Transform Plate Boundaries |
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Exists when two plates slide horizontally past one another. An example of this is San Andreas Fault in California. |
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Cooler,denser lithospheric plates that sink down into the mantle. |
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Gravity pulls on the slab of rock being subducted which then pulls the rest of the plate along with it. Important in controlling the movement of lithospheric plates. (page 190) |
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Innermost layer of the Earth. Extremly high pressure cause the metal to be in the solid state. |
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Located between the mantle and the inner core. Made of molten (liquid) metal. Has convection currents. |
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States that the plates of the lithosphere are in constant, slow motion, driven by convection currents and slab pull. |
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