Plate Tectonics

The Earth’s outer layer or shell Crust Made mostly of oxygen and silicon

the layer of rock that surrounds the core Mantle Convection in the mantle cause the tectonic plates to move.

Cycles created by hot materials rising, cooling off, and then sinking back down Convection Currents

the innermost layer of Earth, made mostly of the elements iron and nickel Core The outer core is molten. The inner core is solid.

the outer zone of Earth, made of the crust and upper mantle /makes up the tectonic plates Lithosphere

The slowly flowing, semi-solid layer of rock under the lithosphere Asthenosphere Tectonic plates “float” on the semi-solid asthenosphere.

the strong, lower part of the mantle Mesophere The mantle is made up of 3 sub layers.

The idea that Earth’s continents were once connected and have broken apart and drifted to their present location Theory of Continental Drift German geologist, Alfred Wegener, was the first to describe continental drift.

the theory that the outer part of Earth is divided into several distinct segments, called plates which move Plate Tectonics

A border where tectonic plates move towards one another Convergent Boundary Converge means to come together.

A border where tectonic plates move apart from each other Divergent Boundary Diverge means to divide.

A border where tectonic plates slide past each other Transform Boundary

Fossil The remains of traces of past life