Plate Tectonics

Asthenosphere

The soft upper mantle layer under lithospheric plates. Asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is a semi-fluid layer of the Earth upon which tectonic plates float and move.

Continental drift

The hypothesis that all the continents are moving very slowly across Earths surface. Continental drift. Continental drift is the movement of Earth's continents over time due to plate tectonics.

Convection

The transfer of heat energy from a warmer area to a cooler area in a liquid or gas. Convection is the process where heat moves through fluids like air or water as warm parts rise and cool parts sink.

Convection current

The movement pattern in a fluid caused by temperature differences within the fluid. Convection current. In simple terms, a convection current is when warmer fluid rises and cooler fluid sinks, creating a circular flow.

Convergent boundary

The boundary where two tectonic plates move towards each other. Convergent boundary. In simple terms, a convergent boundary is where Earth's plates collide, forming mountains or causing earthquakes.

Core

The central part of the Earth, below the mantle, is called the core. The core is the hot, dense center of our planet made mostly of iron and nickel.

Crust

The thin rocky outer layer of Earth, above the mantle. Crust. The crust is the Earth's surface layer where we live, made of solid rocks and soil.

Divergent boundary

The boundary where two tectonic plates move away from each other. Divergent boundary. It is where new crust forms as the plates separate.

Fault

A break in Earth's crust along which rocks move. Fault. It is a crack in the Earth's surface where geological forces have caused rocks to shift.

Inner core

The dense sphere of solid iron and nickel at the Earths center. Inner core. The inner core is the Earth's hottest part, made of solid metal, which helps generate Earth's magnetic field.

Lithosphere

The rigid outer layer of Earth made up of the crust and upper mantle. Lithosphere. It is the solid, rock layer covering the Earth where we live and where tectonic plates move.

Mantle

The layer of rock between Earth's crust and core. Mantle. The mantle is a thick layer of semi-solid rock that moves slowly and helps drive the movement of Earth's tectonic plates.

Mid ocean ridge

A long mountain range on the seafloor formed by lava eruptions through Earths crust. Mid-ocean ridge. It is where tectonic plates move apart, allowing magma to rise and create new seafloor.

Ocean trench

A deep part of the seafloor where a subducting slab bends down. Ocean trench. An ocean trench is a deep, narrow valley in the ocean floor formed where one tectonic plate slides beneath another.

Outer core

A layer of molten nickel and iron that surrounds Earth's inner core. Outer core. The outer core is a hot, liquid layer of metals surrounding Earth's solid inner core, creating our planet's magnetic field.

Pangaea

The supercontinent that broke up 200 million years ago into the continents we see today. Pangaea. Pangaea was a massive landmass where all the Earth's continents were once joined together before drifting apart due to plate tectonics.

Plate tectonics

The theory that Earth's crust is made of moving plates. Plate tectonics. It's the process where giant pieces of Earth's crust shift and move, causing earthquakes and forming mountains.

Rift valley

A deep valley that forms as plates move apart. Rift valley. A rift valley is a lowland region formed when Earth's tectonic plates separate.

Seafloor spreading

The formation of new seafloor by magma at a mid-ocean ridge. Seafloor spreading. It is a process where new oceanic crust forms as magma rises and solidifies at mid-ocean ridges, gradually pushing older crust apart.

Seismic wave

An energy wave caused by an earthquake. Seismic wave. A seismic wave is a vibration that travels through the Earth when the ground shakes.

Subduction

A crust plate forced beneath another at a plate boundary. Subduction. Subduction is when one tectonic plate sinks under another into the Earths mantle.

Transform boundary

The boundary where two plates scrape past each other. Transform boundary. A transform boundary is a place where two tectonic plates move sideways past each other, often causing earthquakes.

Uplift

Any process that moves Earth's surface to a higher elevation. Uplift. Uplift is the upward movement of Earth's surface, often caused by tectonic forces.