Plate Tectonics

2. The sudden, violent shaking of the ground caused by the release of energy when teconic plates grind, collid, or slide past one another.
6. The gravitational equilibrium between the Earth's crust and the denser, plastic mantle, where the crust "floats" at an elevation determined by its thickness and density.
7. The alteration in shape, position, or volume of rocks caused by tectonic stresses, compression, tension, or shear; resulting from plate movement.
9. Bends or wraps in layered rock strata resulting from extreme compressional stress, typically occurring at convergent plate boundaries.
11. A hot, plastic, and partially molten layer of the upper mantle.
13. Large-scale, bowl-shaped depressions in the Earth's crust formed by subsidence related to plate tectonic movements.
14. The deformation, change in shape, or change in volume of rock bodies resulting from stress.
16. Arch-shaped, convex-upward fold in geological rock layers, with the oldest rocks at the center and younger layers dipping away from the crest.
17. The ability of rocks and materials within the Earth's interior to bend, flow, or deform permanently under high pressure and temperature without breaking.
18. Concave, U-shaped geological folds formed by tectonic compression, where rock layers dip inward towards a central trough or axis.
20. The rigid, brittle, outer shell of the Earth- comprising the crust and upper mantle- divided into 7-8 major and several minor tectonic plates.

1. Molten or semi-molton rock located beneath Earth's surface, acting as the primary driver of tectonic activity and new crust formation.
3. The force per unit area applied to rocks within the Earth's crust, resulting from plate movements.
4. A type of stress that pushes rock masses together, primarily occurring at convergent plate boundaries.
5. A fracture or zone of fractures in the Earth's crust along which movement has occurred, typically acting as a boundary between tectonic plates or within a plate.
8. The scientific theory that Earth's rigid outer shell is divided into several large and small moving plates.
10. The mass per unit volume of rock, determining how plates float on the mantle and interact at boundaries.
12. The preserved remains, traces, or impressions of ancient life found in rock layers.
15. A type of stress that pulls rocks apart, causing them to lengthen, thin, or break.
19. Massive, rigid, irregularly shaped slabs of solid rock composing Earth's outer shell.