1. Plate Tectonic Vocabulary
Durham Middle School
6th Grade Science Department

2. Density The ratio of mass of a substance to the volume of a substance.
Density=Mass
Volume
Density is the how much matter (mass) there is in a certain amount of space.
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3. Theory of Plate Tectonics
Theory that the Earth’s lithosphere is divided up into tectonic plates that move around on top the asthenosphere.
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4. Transform Boundary
The boundary between tectonic plates that are sliding past each other
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5. Earthquakes
A sudden movement of the lithosphere.
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6. Convection Currents
The Continual circular motion of molten rock within the mantle that causes movement of the tectonic plates.
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7. Faults
A break in a body of rock along which one block slides relative to another.

8. Richter Scale The scale used to measure the strength of earthquakes.
The Richter magnitude scale (also Richter scale) assigns a magnitude number to quantify the energy released by an earthquake.
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9. Sea-floor spreading
The process by which new oceanic lithosphere forms as magma rises toward the surface and solidifies.
Bill Nye Video Link tch%3Fv%3DGyMLlLxbfa4

10. Convergent boundary
The boundary formed by the collision of two lithospheric plates.
Converge = come together.
Video Link: IE

11. Divergent boundary
The boundary between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other.

12. Seismic Waves
A wave of energy that travels through the earth and away from an earthquake in all directions.
Seismic waves are also a result of volcanic eruptions, magma movement, large landslides and large man-made explosions