Earth's layers Flashcards
(25 cards)
Inner Core
Solid because of greater pressure, Metal: Fe and NI densest layer
Outer Core
Liquid due to less pressure, Metal: Fe and NI, next densest layer
Mantle
Thickest layer semi-solid
Crust
Outmost layer, least dense, only place where life exist
Lithosphere
Layer of solid rock including crust and upper mantle. Broken into plates.
Asthenosphere
Layer of semi-solid rock. Moves plates above it
Oceanic Crust
Dense layer of crust below ocean. Thinner, denser, younger
Continental Crust
Thicker, less dense, older then oceanic crust
Tectonic plates
Large and small slabs of rock that the lithosphere is made up of
Continental Drift
The theory that all the continents where once together then split apart at some time
Mid-ocean ridges
Underwater mountain ridges
Convection
energy transfer by the movement of a material
Convection current
A motion that transfers heat energy in a material
Theory of plate tectonic
The theory state that Earth’s lithosphere is made up of huge plates that move over the Earth’s surface.
Divergent boundary
Occurs when plates move apart. Most of them are found in the oceans
Convergent boundary
Occurs then plates push together
Transform boundary
Occurs when plates scrape past each other
Rift valley
The space between a mid-ocean ridge
Magnetic reversal
Switch in directions
Hot spots
heated rock rises in plumes, or thin columns, called the mantle
Subduction
When one plates sinks beneath another
Continental-continenal collision
When two plates carrying continental crust push together
oceanic-ocieanic subduction
occurs when one plate with oceanic curst dink, or subducts, under another plate with oceanic crust
oceanic-continental subduction
occurs when ocean crust sinks under continental crust
