Flashcards › Plate Tectonics Review

What is the lithosphere? the crust and upper mantle What is the uppermost layer of the earth? the crust What are the 2 different types of crust and what are they made up of? 1. continental crust - made of granite 2. oceanic crust - made of basalt What is the middle layer of the earth? the mantle What are the 3 parts of the mantle? 1. upper mantle(rigid) 2. asthenosphere(bendable) 3. lower mantle What is the lowest part of the mantle? the core What are the 2 parts of the core and what phases are they in? 1. outer core - thick liquid composition (molten material) 2. inner core - solid composition (solid iron & nickel) Who came up with the Theory of Continental Drift? Alfred Wagner What is the Theory of Continental Drift? All continents were once joined in a single landmass called Pangea, over millions of years the continents drifted apart into their current locations. What evidence is there to support the Theory of Continental Drift? landforms, fossils, and climate What evidence was missing when Wegner first presented his theory? convection currents in the mantle move the continents Who came up with the theory of sea-floor spreading? Harry Hess What is the theory of sea-floor spreading? The ocean floor moves like a conveyor belt. What do divergent boundaries cause? earthquakes What do convergent boundaries cause? trenches and moutains