Earth's Dynamic Crust And Interior

Front 1

asthenospere

Back 1

The plastic, partly solid. partly liquid layer of Earth's mantle just below the lithosphere that allows plate movements.

Front 2

continental crust

Back 2

The part of the Earth's crust (upper lithosphere)that makes up the continents and larger islands; thicker and lower in density than the oceanic crust, and granitic rather than basaltic in composition.

Front 3

convergent plate boundary

Back 3

the boundary between two colliding plates; often associated with mountain building, ocean trenches, and volcanic island arcs.

Front 4

crust

Back 4

The outermost solid layer of the Earth's solid lithosphere; separated from the uppermost mantle and lower lithosphere by the thin Moho interface.

Front 5

earthquake

Back 5

A vibration(shaking or movement) of Earth's lithosphere caused by the release of energy that has been stored
in Earth's rocks; most caused by rapid movement along faults, but also associated with other events, such as volcanic eruptions.

many happen near the boundaries between tectonic plates

Front 6

hot spot

Back 6

Major regions of volcanic activity in the interior parts of plates away from plate boundaries; may be the cause of chains of volcanic activity within moving plates, such as the Hawaiian Islands.

Front 7

inner core

Back 7

The innermost zone of Earth's core, which is thought to be composed of iron and nickle in a solid state.

Front 8

inner core

Back 8

The solid, innermost layer of Earth which is thought to be composed of iron and nickel.

Front 9

island arc

Back 9

A chain of volcanoes and volcanic islands that stretch hundreds of miles; formed from magma that rises as a result of an oceanic plate converging at subduction zones.

Front 10

lithospere

Back 10

The whole crust and the uppermost portion of the mantle (layer of rock that forms the solid outer shell at the top of the earth's interior)

Front 11

Mantle

Back 11

The mostly solid part of Earth between the crust and outer core.

Front 12

mid-ocean ridge

Back 12

a range of mountains on the ocean floor, composed mostly of volcanoes and lava flows; forms at zones of diverging plates.

Front 13

Moho

Back 13

The boundary between the earth's outermost layer and the mantle. Short for Mohorovicic Discontinuity.

Front 14

oceanic crust

Back 14

The portion of the Earth's crust that is usually below the oceans and not associated with the continental areas: thinner and higher in density than continental crust and basaltic rather than granitic in composition.