| A | B |
|---|
| Asthenosphere | The weak flexible layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats. |
| Convergent Boundary | A plate boundary where two plates move toward each other. |
| Divergent Boundary | A plate boundary where two plates move away each other. |
| Harry Hess | First proposed the hypothesis that oceanic crust moved, (discovered sea-floor spreading) which would explain how continents could move. This helped to support Wegener's hypothesis of continental drift. |
| J.Tuzo Wilson | Scientist who recognized the significance of cracks in the Earth's crust as "plate" boundaries, and put together the Theory of PLATE TECTONICS from his observations, Wegener's observations / hypothesis, and Hess's data on sea floor spreading. |
| Lithosphere | A rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust. |
| Plate | A section of the lithosphere that slowly moves over the asthenosphere carrying pieces of oceanic and/or continental crust. |
| Plate Tectonics | The theory that pieces of the Earth's lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle. |
| Subduction | The process by which oceanic crust sinks into a deep-ocean trench (under continental crust) and back into the mantle at a convergent plate boundary. |
| Transform Boundary | A plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions. |
| - ate / -ic / -tic | suffix meaning "a condition of being" or "to be" |
| geo | prefix meaning "Earth, rock" |
| ology | suffix meaning "the study of" |
| con / com | prefix meaning "together, with" |
| tion | suffix meaning "the act of" |
| Sphere | a ball |
| pan | prefix meaning "all" |
| sub | under, below |
| duc | to lead |
| verge | to bend or turn |
| asthenes | weak |
| vect | carried |
| di / bi | separate / two |
| lithos | stone, |
| trans | across |
| Glossopteris | A fossil fern |
| Lystrosaurus | A dog-like creature whose fossils are found on far flung land masses |
| Mesosaurus | A fresh-water swimmer whose fossils are found on far flung land masses |
| biblical birth of Earth | Oct. 26, 4004 BC at 9a.m. |
| James Hutton | Father of Geology |
| Himalayan Mountains | Mountains resulting from collision of India and Asia |
| San Andreas fault | Example of transform fault in California |
| Hawaiian Islands | Geological result of Hot Spot in Pacific Ocean |
| exotic terrane | lands that have come from far away and attached themselves to North America |
| Cox and Dalyrymple | Scientists who studied magnetic reversals on land |
| Vine and matthews | Scientists who studied magnetic striping on the sea floor |
| Japanese Island Arc | Islands produced by subduction |
