| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is continental drift? | Continental drift is the hypothesis that states that the continents once formed a single landmass, broke up, and drifted to their present locations |
| What is the Mid-ocean-ridge? | The mid-ocean-ridge is a long, undersea mountain chain that has a steep, narrow valley at its center, that forms as magma rises from the athenosphere, and that creates new oceanic lithosphere as tectonic plates move apart. |
| What is sea-floor spreading? | Sea-floor spreading is the process by which new oceanic lithosphere forms as magma rises to earths surface and solidifies at a mid-ocean ridge. |
| What is Paleomagnetism? | Paleomagnetism is the study of the alignment of minerals in rocks, specifically as it relates to the reversal of earths magnetic poles; also the magnetic properties that rock acquires during formation. |
| What is plate tectonics? | Plate tectonics is the theory that explains how large pieces of the lithosphere, called plates, move and change shape. |
| What is lithosphere? | Lithosphere is the solid, outer layer of earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle. |
| What is asthenosphere? | Asthenosphere is the solid, plastic layer of the mantle beneath the lithosphere; made of mantle rock that flows very slowly, which allows tectonic plates to move on top of it. |
| What is a divergent boundary? | A divergent boundary is the boundary between tectonic plates that are moving away firm each other. |
| What are convergent boundaries? | Convergent boundaries are the boundry between tectonic plates that are colliding |
| What is a transform boundry? | Transform boundaries are the boundaries between tectonic plates that are sliding past each other horizontally |
| What is rifting? | Rifting is the process by which earths crust breaks apart; can occur within continental crust or oceanic crust. |
| What is Terrane? | Terrane is a piece of lithosphere that has a unique geologic history and that may be part of a larger piece of lithosphere, such as a continent. |
