APES Earth Systems

Lithosphere

The crust and the rigid upper mantle together. Tectonic plates move in this region

Asthenosphere

"Plastic-like", Convention currents occur there

Outer core

Mostly composed of liquid iron and nickel

Inner core

Hot, dense ball of (mostly) iron

Mantle

The largest part of the earth

Divergent plates

2 tectonic plates moving apart

Convergent plates

2 tectonic plates moving toward each other

Transform plates

2 plates sliding horizontally past each other

How many major plates surround the earth?

13

Orogeny

mountain building

Magma

Molten rock underneath the earth's surface, exits through a vent

Lava

Magma beneath the Earth's surface, flows to the Earth's surface

Shield Volcano

Formed by the buildup of layers, and is a large broad volcano

Cinder Volcano

Formed by particles of solid lava, and are small cones

Geologists

Scientists who study the forces that shape Earth