unit 7 plate tectonics vocabulary

a way rocks are weathered by winds blowing sand against rock, or ice in a glacier rubbing against rock

rain that is more acidic than usual and speeds up the weathering process

the layer immediately below the lithosphere that is made of rock that can flow

involves a change in the chemistry of rocks

the stress that squeezes or shortens material, can cause folds

the hypothesis that today’s continents were once part of a single landmass

the difference in elevation between the two contour lines

lines that connect points of equal elevation

a boundary where two tectonic plates collide

the bending, tilting, and breaking of rock

a fan shaped mass where streams enter the ocean

lays down rock, sediment, and soil

a boundary where two tectonic plates move away from each other

transports rock, sediment, and soil from one place to another

buried rock is exposed to the earth’s surface and the top layer flakes off due to the release of pressure

where the rock breaks

where the rock bends, but does not break

large mass of ice that exists year round and flows slowly over land

when water seeps into a crack in a rock, freezes and expands to make the crack larger

every fifth contour line on a topographic map that often has an elevation label

the outermost layer of the earth

a change or switch of magnetic poles

a string of connected volcanic mountains formed on the ocean floor; formed by magma rising at a divergent boundary

certain elements in rocks combine with oxygen in the air or water to form chemical compounds

also called mechanical weathering where rocks are physically broken down into smaller pieces

states that earth’s surface is made of giant slabs called tectonic plates

the difference between the highest and lowest elevations in a particular area

possibly a driving force behind plate tectonics, where oceanic plates slide downhill due to gravity

the process by which earth’s lithosphere pulls apart to form long narrow, faulted rift valleys

to show the relationship between the sizes and distances shown on a map

the process by which new seafloor is created

weathered rock pieces

the stress that causes material to twist or become distorted

possibly a driving force behind plate tectonics; where oceanic plates sink into the asthenosphere at subduction zones

measures steepness from one point to another

the amount of force per area put on a body

the process by which one tectonic plate is pulled beneath another plate

the large moving pieces of the lithosphere

description of what two plates are involved and what direction they are pulling

the stress that lengthens material or pulls material apart

a system of ideas that explains many related observations about the natural world

shows the shape of earth’s surface with lines that represent different elevations

the shape and size of the land features on earth

a boundary where two tectonic plates move past one another in opposite directions

the process by which rocks break down into smaller pieces