1.2 Plate Tectonics

A theory developed in the 1960s that helps explain the formation of some of the important features on Earth’s surface and how the continents move.

The transfer of thermal energy (heat energy) by the motion of a fluid.

large sections of crust

a large land mass thought to have broken up into several of the current continents

It is what the supper continent is called.

Two tectonic plates move apart, forming new land between them.

Two tectonic plates move towards each other.

Two tectonic plates try to slide past each other.

Molten rock that erupts from the Earth’s crust

A sudden shaking of the ground is usually caused when two plates suddenly slip against each other.

Islands formed when volcanic eruptions result in the formation of an island or group of islands.

Part of the Earth’s crust from which lava erupts

Mountain ranges formed deep in the ocean that extend for hundreds of miles either side of the parting plates.

Cold ocean water seeps into the Earth’s crust and is superheated by underlying magma; this heated water is forced through vents(gaps) in the ocean floor and as it cools dissolved minerals solidify and form a chimney-like structure

Nutrients that are needed by living organisms, examples include calcium and iron

the downward movement of one plate beneath another

a fast-moving wave with a long wavelength, created by ocean floor displacement or landslide

The change of a solid into a liquid; during this process, heat is taken in from the surroundings.

a deep underwater valley formed when oceanic crust slides below continental crust

part of the continental plate extending from coast/shore in shallow waters with little or no slope

Small fragments of rock, such as gravel, sand and silt.

A barrier which reduces the energy in waves before waves reach the coast

all the organisms in the area, along with their environment

Recreational visits to an area that brings money into local economies