Chapter 5 - Plate Tectonics Vocab

Here is the vocabulary from our chapter and a few pictures to help you to review :)  Remember that this is all recorded in your notes just the way that I wrote it on the board.  You have learned SOOOOO much!  Good work :)


(Double click images to enlarge them)

1. Seismic waves - waves that travel through the earth when there is an earthquake
2. pressure - the result of force pressing on an area
3. crust - the thin outer layer of rock around the earth.  ~5-40 km thick
4. basalt - the main rock found in the crust on the ocean floor
5. granite - the main rock that makes up the crust in areas of dry ground
6. mantle - the three layers between the crust and the core
7. lithosphere - the top layer of mantle under the crust.  It is hard like the crust is.
8. asthenosphere - the middle layer of the mantle.  It is hot and moves lie toothpaste.
9. outercore - made of liquid molten metal.  Mostly iron and nickel.
10. innercore - made of solid hot metal.  Mostly iron and nickel.

1. radiation  - the movement of heat through empty space
2. conduction -  the movement of heat through solids
3. convection -  the movement of heat through liquids and gasses
4. density - the amount of mass in a certain amount of volume.

1. convection currents - the movement of warm particles up while cold particles move down which creates a flow of material
2. continental drift - the movement of the continents as the lithosphere slides on the Asthenosphere
3. Pangea - the name given to the large land mass that is formed if all continents are together in one area
4. fossil - the remains of dead plants and animals.  Fossil remains provide evidence for the concept of continental drift.
5. mid-ocean ridges - long mountain-like ranges under the ocean where new sea floor is created by magma.
6. sonar -  technology that uses sound waves to map the ocean floor
7. sea-floor spreading - the continual growth of the ocean floor at the mid-ocean ridges which causes the continents to move
8. deep-ocean trenches - the location of subduction near the coastlines of the continents
9. subduction - the return of the ocean floor to the mantle near the coastline of a continent

1. plate - the broken pieces of lithosphere that ride on the asthenosphere.
2. scientific theory - a proposed idea that takes evidences into consideration in order to solve a problem
3. plate tectonics - the theory that explains how the continents are able to move on plates due to convection currents in the mantle

1. fault – the space between two plates
2. divergent boundary – the edge of plates that are moving apart
3. rift valley – A place in Africa where the plates are moving apart and creating a valley
4. convergent boundary – the edge of plates that are moving together
5. transform boundary – the edge of plates that are sliding past each other.