Chapter 4 Vocabulary
Chapter 4-1
1. Crust- The thin and solid outermost layer of the Earth above the
mantle.
2. Mantle– The layer of rock between the Earth’s crust and core.
3. Core– The central part of the Earth below the mantle.
4. Lithosphere– The solid, outer layer of the Earth that consists of the
crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle.
5. Asthenosphere- The soft layer of the mantle on which the tectonic
plates moves.
6. Mesosphere- The strong, lower, part, of the mantle between the
asthenosphere and outer core.
7. Outer core- The outer core is the liquid layer of the earth’s core that
lies beneath layer of the earth core that lies beneath the mantle and
surrounds the inner core.
8. Inner core- The inner core is the solid, dense center of our planet the
extends from the bottom of the outer core to the center of the
earth, which is about 6,380km
9. Tectonic plate- A block of lithosphere that consists of the rigid,
outermost part of the mantle.
10. Seismographs- Measures the times at which seismic waves arrive at
different distances from an earthquake.
Chapter 4-2
1. Continental drift- Is the hypothesis that the continents once formed
a
single landmass
2. Pangaea- Present continents were once joined in a single huge content.
3. Mid-ocean ridges- Are the under water mountain chains that run
through Earths ocean basins.
4. Sea-floor- Is the process by which new oceanic lithosphere forms as
magma rises toward the surface and solidifies.
5. Magnetic reversal- When Earth’s magnetic poles change places.
Chapter 4-3
1. Plate Tectonics- The theory that explains how large Pieces of the
Earth’s outermost layer, moves and change shape
2. Convergent Boundary- The boundary by the collision of two
lithosphere plates
3. Divergent Boundary- The boundary between two tectonic plates that
are moving away from each other
4. Transform Boundary- The boundary between tectonic plates that are
sliding past each other horizontally
5. Continental-Continental Collision- When two tectonic plates with
continental crust collide, they buckle and thicken, which pushes the
continental crust upward
6. Continental-Oceanic Collision- When a plate with oceanic crust collides
with continental crust, the denser oceanic crust sinks into the
Asthenosphere
7. Oceanic-Oceanic Collision- When two tectonic plates with oceanic
lithosphere collide, one of the plates with oceanic lithosphere sinks
under the other
8. Ridge Push- At mid-ocean ridges, the oceanic lithosphere is higher
than it is where it sinks under the Asthenosphere
9. Convection- Hot rock from deep within the Earth rises, but cooler
rock near the surface sinks
10. Slab Pull- Oceanic lithosphere is denser than the Athenosphere, the
edge of the tectonic plate that contains oceanic lithosphere sinks and
pulls the rest of the tectonic plate with it
Chapter
1. Stress- is the amount of force per unit area on a given material.
2. Deformation- a process by which the shape of a rock changes because
of stress
3. Compression- stress that occurs when forces act to squeeze an object
4. Tension- stress that occurs when forces act to stretch an object
5. Folding- the bending of rock layers due to stress
6. Anticlines- upward-arching folds
7. Synclines- down-ward, trough like folds
8. Monocline- rock layers that are folded so that both ends of the fold
are horizontal
9. Fault- a break in a body of rock along which one block slides relative
to another
10. Fault Blocks- blocks of crust on each side of the fault
11. Hanging Wall- is when you are hanging off the wall
12. Footwall- is when you are walking up a wall
13. Normal Fault- occurs when tectonic forces cause tension that pulls
rocks apart
14. Reverse fault- usually happens when tectonic forces cause
compression that pushes rocks together
15. Strike-Slip Fault- form when opposing forces cause rock to break and
move horizontally.
16. Folded Mountains- form when rock layers are squeezed together and
pushed upward.
17. Fault-Block Mountains- form when this tension causes large blocks of
the Earth’s crust to drop down relative to other blocks.
18. Volcanic Mountains- rock that is melted in subdction zones form
magma, which rises to the Earth’s surface and erupts
19. Uplift- the rising of regions the Earth’s crust to higher elevations
20. Subsidence- the sinking of regions of the Earth’s crust to lower
elevations
21. Rebound- a process where area rises without deforming
22. Rift Zone- is a set of deep cracks that forms between two tectonic
plates that are pulling away from each other