Plate Tectonics Quiz Flashcards
What is the continental drift theory? Who came up with it?
The hypothesis that the continents once formed a single land mass, broke up, and drifted to present locations. Alfred Wagner came up with it.
What was the single landmass called? What does it mean?
Pangaea. All earth.
How did the continents break up?
Sea floor spreading.
What does sea floor spreading mean?
Process by which new oceanic lithosphere forms as magma, rises to the surface and solidifies.
What are the three boundaries?
Convergent, Divergent, Transform.
What are the three types of faults.
Normal, Reverse, Strike-Slip
What is the Ring of Fire?
A rim of active volcanoes formed at convergent boundaries around the Pacific Ocean.
What does understanding plate tectonics help us know/do?
Find mineral and energy deposits. Predicting natural hazards associated with moving crust
