Unit 3 Vocab

5. the upper layer of the earth's mantle
6. used as a convenient way to help identify minerals
7. places where plates slide sideways past each other
8. the study of ancient pole positions and makes use of remanent magnetization
12. a geologic process in which tectonic plates—large slabs of Earth's lithosphere—split apart from each other
14. the deformation of a material from stress
15. a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock.
17. the gradual movement of the continents across the earth's surface through geological time.
19. a web of processes that outlines how each of the three major rock types—igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary—form and break down based on the different applications of heat and pressure over time
22. formed from pre-existing rocks or pieces of once-living organisms
24. a scientific theory that explains how major landforms are created as a result of Earth's subterranean movements
25. A tectonic boundary where two plates are moving toward each other.

1. the solid, outer part of Earth
2. a seafloor mountain system formed by plate tectonics
3. occurs when two tectonic plates move away from each other
4. a naturally occurring inorganic element or compound having an orderly internal structure and characteristic chemical composition, crystal form, and physical properties
9. long chains of active volcanoes with intense seismic activity found along convergent tectonic plate boundaries
10. a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock
11. openings, or vents where lava, tephra, and steam erupt onto the Earth's surface.
13. form when hot, molten rock crystallizes and solidifies
16. a geologic structure that is formed by layers or beds of rock being bent or folded
18. the rising or settling of a portion of the Earth's lithosphere that occurs when weight is removed or added in order to maintain equilibrium
20. the force acting on the unit area of a material
21. started out as some other type of rock, but have been substantially changed from their original igneous, sedimentary, or earlier metamorphic form
23. the action or process of changing in shape or distorting