INSIDE EARTH
Chapter One
Plate Tectonics
Section One BIG IDEAS
Earth’s Interior
Test: November 12, 2015
Study Guide
1. Earth’s interior is divided into the crust, the mantle, the outer core, and the
inner core. See diagram of Earth’s layers.
2. The lithosphere includes the crust and the rigid upper crust of the mantle;
beneath the lithosphere is the asthenosphere a soft, bendable layer on which
Earth’s plates rest.
VOCABULARY
Constructive Force – a force that builds up mountains and landmasses on Earth’s surface, such
as a volcano
Destructive Force – a force that slowly wears away mountains and other features on Earth’s
surface, such as erosion
Crust – the layer of rock that forms the earth’s outer surface
Basalt – a dark, dense, igneous rock found in oceanic crust
Granite – a usually light-colored rock that is found in continental crust
Mantle – the layer of hot, solid molten material between Earth’s crust and core (largest layer)
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
Outer Core – a layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds inner core of Earth
Inner Core – a dense ball of solid iron and nickel in the center of Earth
Section Two BIG IDEAS
Convection Currents and the Mantle
1. Heat can be transferred in three ways: radiation, conduction, and
convection.
2. Differences of temperature and density within a fluid can cause convection
currents.
VOCABULARY
Heat transfer – the movement of energy from a warmer object to a cooler object
Radiation– the transfer of energy through empty space such as sunlight or microwave
Conduction – the transfer of heat by direct contact of particles of matter such as a metal spoon
on the stove getting hot
Convection – the transfer of heat by movements of a heated fluid such as a hot air balloon
Convection Current- the movement of a fluid, caused by differences in temperature, transfers
heat from one part of the fluid to another
Section Three BIG IDEAS
Drifting Continents
1. Alfred Wegener developed the idea that the continents were once joined and
have since drifted apart. Three evidences of continental drift are fossils,
landforms, and climate. Fossils of reptiles and plants were found in places
where they should not be able to live. Mountain ranges and coal fields match up
with other places. Evidence from glaciers and rocks show that some places had
a completely different climate.
2. Most scientists rejected Wegener’s theory because he could not identify a force
that could move (push or pull) the continents.
VOCABULARY
Pangaea – the name of the single landmass that broke apart 200 million years ago and
gave rise to today’s continents
Continental Drift – the hypothesis that the continents moved slowly across Earth’s
surface to their present locations
Section Four BIG IDEAS
Sea-Floor Spreading
1. In sea-floor spreading, molten material forms new rock along the mid-ocean
ridge (the undersea mountain chain).
2. In subduction, the ocean floor sinks back to the mantle beneath the deep ocean
trenches.
3. These two processes are much like a conveyor belt consuming old land and
recycling it into new land. Land is pushed down into the mantle at convergent
boundaries and is melted and then find its way back to the surface either through
volcanoes, hot spots, or coming up through the mid-ocean ridge where plates
diverge (or separate).
VOCABULARY
Sea-Floor Spreading – the process by which molten material adds new oceanic crust to
the ocean floor at a divergent plate boundary
Subduction- the process by which oceanic crust sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench and
back into the mantle at a convergent plate boundary
Section Five BIG IDEAS
The Theory of Plate Tectonics
1. The Theory of Plate Tectonics explains plate movements and how they could
cause continental drift.
2. Plates slip past each other at transform boundaries, move apart at divergent
boundaries, and come together at convergent boundaries.
VOCABULARY
Plate – a section of the lithosphere that slowly moves over the asthenosphere, carrying
pieces of oceanic and continental crust
Plate Tectonics – the theory that pieces of the Earth’s lithosphere (plates) are in constant
motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle
Transform Boundary – a plate boundary where two plates move past each other in
opposite direction
Divergent Boundary- a plate boundary where two plates move away from each other
Convergent Boundary- a plate boundary where two plates move toward each other
*Be sure to review all diagrams covered in this chapter: heat transfers, Earth’s layers, boundary
types. In addition, check teacher’s webpage for example response for LEQ on Earth’s layers.