CPO Earth Science Unit 4 Chapter 11.1 and 11.2 – Flashcards
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a theory explaining how the pieces of earth's surface (the plates) move; a new science
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What is plate tectonics?
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a German scientist and arctic explorer who suggested the idea of continental drift
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Who is Alfred Wegener?
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the continents looked like they fit together like a puzzle or "super continent"
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Why did Wegener think the continents were once connected?
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no one could identify the force needed to move the continents
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Why did scientists reject Wegener's idea of continental drift?
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the idea that the continents move around on the Earth's surface
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continental drift
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an ancient, huge landmass composed of earlier forms of today's continents; an ancient super continent
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Pangaea
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it showed that the new ocean floor that forms at the mid-ocean ridges moves away form the ridges as time passes
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Why are magnetic patterns important evidence for plate tectonics?
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when large areas of the ocean floor were mapped for the first time
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How were midocean ridges discovered?
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sea floor spreading
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What was Harry Hess' hypothesis about the continents serparating from one large supercontinent?
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magnetic reversal patterns and the oldest rocks being farthest away from the mid ocean ridge
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What two discoveries supported Hess' hypothesis for sea floor spreading?
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plate tectonics
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What is the study of lithospheric plates called?
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the asthenosphere
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Over what surface so lithosperic plates move?
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oceanic plates and continental plates
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What are the two types of lithospheric plates?
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"Why are there volcanoes adn earthquakes where they are?" and "Where can we find oil, gas, gold and other important resources?"
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What are some questions answered by plate tectonics?
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Earth core heats the rock material of the lower mantle and convection cells drive the movement
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What is the source of energy that drives the movement of the lithospheric plates?
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a long chain of undersea mountains
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mid-ocean ridge
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a hypothesis that new sea floor is created at mid ocean ridges and forces the continents apart form each other
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sea floor spreading
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larege pieces of Earth's lithosphere that move over the asthenosphere
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lithospheric plates
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thin lithospheric plates that are made of basalt and form the ocean floor; denser than continental plates
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oceanic plates
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thick lithospheric plates that are made of andesite and granite and form the continents; less dense than oceanic plates
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continental plates
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a process that involves a lithospheric plate sinking into the mantle
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subduction
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heated lower mantle rock that rises toward the lithosphere because it is less dense than surrounding mantle rock
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mantle plume
