Plate Tectonics Flashcards
How thick is the continental plate?
30 - 70 km
How old is the continental plate?
Over 1500 million years old.
How dense is the continental plate?
2.6 (ligher)
What is the composition of the continental plate?
Mainly made of granite, silicon, aluminum and oxygen.
How thick is the oceanic plate?
6 - 10 km
How old is the oceanic plate?
Less than 200 million years old.
How dense is the oceanic plate?
3.0 (heavier)
What is the composition of the continental plate?
Mainly made of basalt, silicon, magnesium and oxygen.
What are convection currents? How do they cause plate movement?
Convection currents are formed by the rising and falling of the mantle as it heats and cools in accordance to the proximity of the heat from the core.
This causes the plates to move as they sit on the mantle and are pulled along by convection currents.
What is the earth’s crust like?
The crust is broken into pieces which are called plates, a plate boundary is where two plates meet.
