Vocabulary Terms of Science Plate Tectonics

Question 1

North and South American and Europe are believed to move about _____ each year due to Atlantic ocean Seafloor Spreading

Answer 1

1-2 cm

Question 2

What is the mid-ocean ridge?

Answer 2

Cracks in the oceanic crust

Question 3

zone where plates sink

Answer 3

subduction zone

Question 4

Why was Alfred Wegener’s idea rejected?

Answer 4

he couldn’t describe how the continents moved

Question 5

This is a picture of glacial striations found in Africa. What are these striations best evidence for?

Answer 5

Africa was once in an area of the Earth that had a very cold climate

Question 6

If new crust is constantly forming through the process of sea-floor spreading, why does the Earth stay the same size?

Answer 6

Old crust subducts at deep ocean trenches

Question 7

The process in the mantle that causes seafloor spreading

Answer 7

convection currents

Question 8

What is the difference between oceanic and continental plate boundaries?

Answer 8

One is the land and one is at the bottom of the ocean

Question 9

The mid-ocean ridge is…

Answer 9

an underwater mountain range

Question 10

What is feature Q?

Answer 10

mid-ocean ridge

Question 11

What is process M?

Answer 11

subduction

Question 12

What is process B?

Answer 12

sea-floor spreading

Question 13

What feature is R?

Answer 13

deep ocean trench

Question 14

The process by which the ocean floor sinks beneath the continental crust back into the mantle is

Answer 14

subduction

Question 15

Whose theory was sea-floor spreading?

Answer 15

Harry Hess

Question 16

The process of ___ adds ocean floor along both sides of the mid-ocean ridge

Answer 16

seafloor spreading

Question 17

What happens to the crust that is subducted when two plates converge?

Answer 17

gets melted back into magma

Question 18

What type of landform is created at a divergent boundary?

Answer 18

mid-ocean ridge

Question 19

What type of boundary is a trench

Answer 19

Convergant

Question 20

What does the rubbing of the plates NOT cause

Answer 20

Volcanoes

Question 21

The process by which crust is pushed down into the mantle below another plate.

Answer 21

subduction

Question 22

A plate boundary where two plates move toward each other. (Collide)

Answer 22

Convergent Boundary

Question 23

The less dense and thicker of the two plate types.

Answer 23

continental crust

Question 24

What makes the plates to move?

Answer 24

convection currents

Question 25

A deep depression on the sea floor caused by the subduction of one plate under another.

Answer 25

trench

Question 26

The transfer of heat by movement of currents within a fluid.

Answer 26

convection

Question 27

The denser and thinner of the two plate types.

Answer 27

oceanic crust

Question 28

A plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions. (Slide)

Answer 28

Transform Boundary

Question 29

What geologic feature can be found at letter B?

Answer 29

Volcano

Question 30

What happens to the oldest oceanic crust?

Answer 30

Breaks off at a trench and recycles in the asthenosphere

Question 31

What is the mid-ocean ridge?

Answer 31

Cracks in the oceanic crust

Question 32

What is seafloor spreading?

Answer 32

A process that always adds new material to the ocean floor

Question 33

What is directly below the Earth's crust?

Answer 33

Mantle

Question 34

Molten rock from the mantle that reaches the Earth's surface is called what?

Answer 34

Lava

Question 35

Molten rock located in the Mantle is called what?

Answer 35

Magma

Question 36

What happens to the molten rock when it hits the Earth's surface from the mid-ocean ridge?

Answer 36

The lava will solidify, becoming part of the seafloor

Question 37

Where is the oldest rock going to be located on the seafloor?

Answer 37

Furthest away from the mid-ocean ridge

Question 38

The ocean floor is _____________ than the continental crust.

Answer 38

younger

Question 39

The Theory of Continental Drift and Seafloor Spreading come together to make:

Answer 39

The Theory of Plate Tectonics

Question 40

What happens to the oldest oceanic crust?

Answer 40

Breaks off at a trench and recycles in the asthenosphere

Question 41

An event that occurs when pieces of the crust rub against each other causing the earth to shake.

Answer 41

earthquake

Question 42

Sudden slide of rocks and soil down the side of a mountain or hill.

Answer 42

land slide

Question 43

A strong, sudden shaking of the ground.

Answer 43

earthquake

Question 44

Carrying away of rocks and soil from one place to another.

Answer 44

erosion

Question 45

A large sheet of ice that moves very slowly over land.

Answer 45

glacier

Question 46

Large pieces of Earth’s crust that move.

Answer 46

plates

Question 47

Breaking down of rocks on Earth’s surface.

Answer 47

weathering

Question 48

Process in which sediment is laid in new locations.

Answer 48

deposition

Question 49

Hole in Earth’s surface from which melted rock, ashes, and ash come out.

Answer 49

volcano

Question 50

Erosion is the...

Answer 50

movement of sediment

Question 51

Weathering is the...

Answer 51

breaking down of rock

Question 52

Deposition is the...

Answer 52

dropping of off sediment

Question 53

Waves hitting a cliff and breaking it would be an example of...

Answer 53

weathering

Question 54

Were these arches in the desert formed by water, wind, or ice?

Answer 54

wind

Question 55

A river moving sand somewhere would be an example of

Answer 55

erosion

Question 56

Wind breaking down a rock would be an example of

Answer 56

weathering

Question 57

Which of these 3 things did Wegener NOT study to support his ideas?

Answer 57

matching forces

Question 58

The best evidence that the continents were once connected is that they have matching

Answer 58

Rock types, fossils, coastlines

Question 59

Glacier grooves are an example of climate change evidence because?

Answer 59

glacial grooves are found in the warm areas today, so it means that continent used to be near the poles

Question 60

Which is the best statement for fossil evidence?

Answer 60

Lystrosaurus fossils found on several continents and they could not swim, so the continents were connected.

Question 61

A tropical plant fossil is found in Antarctica...this is what type of evidence?

Answer 61

climate change

Question 62

What is this a picture of?

Answer 62

Pangea

Question 63

What is the force that moves the continents?

Answer 63

convection

Question 64

This is a picture of glacier scars found in Africa. What are these evidence for?

Answer 64

Africa was once in an area of the Earth that had a very cold climate

Question 65

Scientists at the time rejected Wegener’s hypothesis of continental drift because he could not explain how or why Earth's continents move.

Answer 65

True

Question 66

Originally the Continental drift theory was not well received by other scientist. Why?

Answer 66

The scientists did not know the force responsible for moving the continents.

Question 67

Why was Wegener's theory rejected?

Answer 67

he could not identify the cause behind continental drift

Question 68

What evidence did Wegener use to support his theory?

Answer 68

all of these

Question 69

The glossopteris (fern plant) found in South America, Africa, and Australia is an example of what type of continental drift evidence?

Answer 69

fossil evidence

Question 70

When Wegener looked at maps he noticed Africa and South America ____________ lined up.

Answer 70

mountain ranges

Question 71

Who is the German Scientist that came up with the theory of the Continental Drift?

Answer 71

Alfred Wegener

Question 72

What is the name of Alfred Wegener's hypothesis about moving landmasses?

Answer 72

continental drift

Question 73

Use the image to help you, Mesosaurus fossils are found in South America because

Answer 73

the continents were once connected

Question 74

The Earth's crust is thought to be moving at a rate of

Answer 74

between 2 and 10cm per year

Question 75

How many pieces of evidence did we discuss for the theory of continental drift?

Answer 75

4

Question 76

Continental drift is

Answer 76

the idea that the continents are moving and were once one landmass

Question 77

continental crust

Answer 77

made of granite, it is less dense

Question 78

oceanic crust

Answer 78

made of basalt, it is more dense

Question 79

temperature of Earth's interior

Answer 79

increases with depth

Question 80

crust

Answer 80

the outermost layer of Earth

Question 81

tectonic plates

Answer 81

Earth's crust is broken into these

Question 82

crust

Answer 82

outermost layer of Earth

Question 83

inner core

Answer 83

A dense sphere of solid iron and nickel at the center of Earth

Question 84

Rock

Answer 84

Earth is composed mainly of

Question 85

mantle

Answer 85

Earth's thickest layer made of hot rock and makes up 2/3 of the earth's mass; convection takes place here below the lithosphere

Question 86

outer core

Answer 86

Hot liquid core that surrounds Earth's solid inner core& that is made mostly of iron

Question 87

This is the hottest layer of the Earth

Answer 87

Inner Core

Question 88

State of matter of Inner Core

Answer 88

solid

Question 89

Two types of crust

Answer 89

continental crust and oceanic crust

Question 90

Continental Crust

Answer 90

Thicker, less dense crust

Question 91

Oceanic Crust

Answer 91

thin, more dense than continental crust, subducting crust

Question 92

Which is denser?

Answer 92

Oceanic crist

Question 93

Mantle

Answer 93

the layer of the earth between the crust and the core

Question 94

Which is thinner?

Answer 94

Oceanic crust

Question 95

Which is younger?

Answer 95

Oceanic crust

Question 96

What is Earth's inner most layer?

Answer 96

Core

Question 97

What is Earth's outer most layer?

Answer 97

Crust

Question 98

What is Crust?

Answer 98

The top layer of the Earth

Question 99

What is Continental Drift

Answer 99

The theory that states that all continents were once connected but have drifted apart

Question 100

What is a plate

Answer 100

A piece of earths crust

Question 101

What is Sea floor spreading

Answer 101

When the ocean floors move around

Question 102

What is the Theory of plate Tectonics

Answer 102

That plate move slowly but they do move

Question 103

What is a Convergent Boundary

Answer 103

When two plates collide

Question 104

What is a Divergent Boundary

Answer 104

When two plates divide ( think divorce)

Question 105

What is a Transform Boundary

Answer 105

When two plates side past each other

Question 106

What is a mid ocean ridge

Answer 106

A steep valley formed by sea floor spreading and divergent boundaries