Download Plate Tectonics Test Study Guide

Name______________________________________________________Per________Date_________________
Plate Tectonics Test Study Guide (A)
Section 1: Earth’s Interior (pages 6-13)
You should be able to:
 Describe how geologists have learned about the Earth’s inner structures.
 Describe characteristics of the Earth’s crust, mantle and core.
Section 1: Key Terms









seismic waves- vibrations that travel through Earth carrying the energy released during an earthquake
pressure- the force exerted on a surface divided by the area over which the force is exerted
crust- the layer of rock that forms Earth’s outer surface
basalt- a dark, dense, igneous rock with a fine texture, found in oceanic crust
granite- a usually light-colored igneous rock that is found in continental crust
mantle- the layer of hot, solid material between Earth’s crust and core
lithosphere- a rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust
asthenosphere- the soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats
outer core- a layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of Earth
_____________________________________________________________________________
Section 2: Convection and the Mantle (pages 14-17)
You should be able to:
 Describe three ways that heat is transferred.
 Describe the cause of convection currents.
 Apply the cause of convection currents in general to convection currents in the Earth’s mantle.
Section 2: Key Terms





radiation- the transfer of energy through space
conduction- the transfer of heat within a material or between materials that are touching
convection- the transfer of heat by movement of a fluid
density-the amount of mass in a given space; mass per unit volume
convection current- the movement of a fluid, caused by differences in temperature, that transfers heat
from one part of the fluid to another
______________________________________________________________________________
Section 3: Drifting Continents (pages 18-22)
You should be able to:
 Describe Alfred Wegener’s hypothesis about the continents.
 Describe the three lines of evidence that supported Wegener’s hypothesis.
 Describe why Wegener’s hypothesis was rejected by most scientists of his time.
Name______________________________________________________Per________Date_________________
Section 3: Key Terms

continental drift- the hypothesis that the continents slowly move across Earth’s surface

Pangaea- the name of the single landmass that broke apart 200 million years ago and gave rise to today’s
continents

fossil- a trace of an ancient organism that has been preserved in rock
Section 4: Sea-Floor Spreading (pages 23-29)
You should be able to:
 Describe the process of sea-floor spreading.
 Describe the three lines of evidence for sea-floor spreading.
 Describe what happens at deep-ocean trenches.
Section 4: Key Terms





mid-ocean ridge- an undersea mountain chain where new ocean floor is produced; a divergent plate
boundary
sonar- a device that determines the distance of an object under water by recording echoes of sound
waves
sea-floor spreading- the process by which molten material adds new oceanic crust to the ocean floor
deep-ocean trench- a deep valley along the ocean floor beneath which oceanic crust slowly sinks toward
the mantle
subduction-the process by which oceanic crust sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench and back into the
mantle at a convergent plate boundary
______________________________________________________________________________
Section 5: The Theory of Plate Tectonics (pages 32-36)
You should be able to:
 Describe the theory of plate tectonics
 Describe the three types of plate boundaries, including what happens at each type, and the
landforms that can be created at each type.
Section 5: Key Terms








plate- a section of the lithosphere that slowly moves over the asthenosphere, carrying pieces of
continental and oceanic crust
scientific theory- a well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations
plate tectonics-the theory that pieces of Earth’s lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection
currents in the mantle
fault- a break in Earth’s crust where masses of rock slip past each other
divergent boundary- a plate boundary where two plates move away from each other
rift valley- a deep valley that forms where two plates move apart
convergent boundary- a plate boundary where two plates move toward each other
transform boundary- a plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions