Plate tectonics
sonar
a device that uses sound waves to measure distance to an object
mid-ocean ridge
a mountain range that is formed by seams that run along the floor of the ocean
The layer of the earth where mantle convection occurs and on which the earth's crust rests is the _____.
asthenosphere
convection
process of heat transfer by the circulation or movement of a gas, liquid, or plastic material
At a mid-ocean ridge, a crack forms along the oceanic crust causing __________.
seafloor spreading
transform boundary
the boundary created by two plates moving alongside each other
seafloor spreading
the process that occurs when new oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity
magma
the result of an oceanic plate as it begins to melt while conforming to a subduction zone
plate tectonics
the theory that the lithosphere is broken into pieces that float on the asthenosphere
lithosphere
earth's crust and rigid portion of uppermost mantle
The plate tectonic theory can best be described as _____.
earth's natural process by which its lithospheric plates slowly move about because of movement in the asthenosphere
The layer of the earth that forms the earth's plates is the _____.
lithosphere
As subduction occurs, the oceanic crust moves from the ____________ toward a ___________
mid-ocean ridge deep-ocean trench.
1. asthenosphere 2. continental crust 3. convection 4. lithosphere 5. oceanic crust 6. plate tectonics
3 process of heat transfer by the circulation or movement of a gas, liquid, or plastic material 4 Earth's crust and rigid portion of uppermost mantle 5 the part of Earth's crust located beneath the oceans and seas 2 the part of Earth's crust that forms landmasses 6 the theory that the lithosphere is broken into pieces that float on the asthenosphere 1 the outer layer of the mantle; made up of plastic or semi-molten rock
The person who suggested that the continents were once a supercontinent, called Pangaea, that slowly drifted apart was ____________.
Alfred Wegener
The scientist's hypothesis that all of the continents were previously one large continent until something caused them to move apart is called _______________.
continental drift
The process of heat transfer thought to be responsible for the movement of the lithospheric plates on the surface of the earth is ____________.
convection
Mantle convection is a circulation of the heat emitted by the earth's _____.
core
Earth's mantle experiences convection currents that cause plates to move. Which of the following are the result(s) of the movements? Select all that apply.
mountain ranges volcanoes deep-ocean trenches
divergent boundary
the boundary created by two plates moving away from each other
convergent boundary
the boundary created by two plates moving toward each other
asthenosphere
the outer layer of the mantle; made up of plastic or semi-molten rock
oceanic crust
the part of Earth's crust located beneath the oceans and seas
continental crust
the part of Earth's crust that forms landmasses
subduction
the process in which a deep part of the ocean is formed by the intersection of an oceanic plate and continental plate
During the process of a subduction, the older oceanic crust is pulled by gravity down beneath the __________ and back into the ____________.
trench mantle