Earth Layers And Plate Tectonics Quiz

False — Tornadoes are weather phenomena, not geological events. They occur in the atmosphere due to storm systems, while plate tectonics involve the movement of Earth's solid crustal plates.

An earthquake occurs at a transform boundary where plates slide horizontally past each other. The frictional stress between plates causes energy release, leading to seismic activity.

When continental plates diverge, they pull apart, forming a rift valley. As the crust thins and stretches, magma rises to fill the gap, potentially forming new ocean basins over time.

A subduction boundary forms where one plate slides beneath another into the mantle. This process recycles crust and leads to deep trenches, volcanic arcs, and strong earthqua

The lithosphere is the rigid outer shell of the Earth that includes the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle. It’s divided into tectonic plates that move and interact, forming features like mountains and earthquakes.

Convergent boundaries occur where plates collide. Subduction happens when one plate sinks beneath another, while mountain formation results from the compression of continental crust. Both processes define convergent plate activity.

When plates diverge, they move apart due to convection currents in the mantle. This creates rift valleys or mid-ocean ridges where magma rises and new crust forms.

When an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the denser oceanic plate subducts beneath the lighter continental plate. This process forms trenches, volcanoes, and mountain ranges.

The asthenosphere is a semi-molten layer beneath the lithosphere. Its soft, plastic-like flow allows tectonic plates to move slowly across it, driving Earth's surface dynamics.

Mantle convection drives plate movement. Heat from the Earth's core causes hot material to rise and cooler material to sink, creating circular flow patterns that move tectonic plates.