Questions and Answers
What is the lithosphere primarily made up of?
Which rock type is found in the continental crust?
When an oceanic crust collides with a continental crust, which type of crust typically subducts?
Which of the following is a primary lithospheric plate?
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What drives the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates?
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Which layer of the Earth is not part of the lithosphere?
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Which type of crust is denser?
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The areas of shallow seabed close to continents are known as what?
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Study Notes
Earth’s Lithosphere
- The lithosphere is the rigid, rocky outer layer of the Earth, composed of the crust and solid upper mantle.
Types of Crust
- Continental Crust: Forms the continents and shallow seabeds near shorelines; composed mainly of granitic rock, which is less dense.
- Oceanic Crust: Found under oceans; formed at spreading centers on oceanic ridges; composed of basaltic rock, which is denser than continental crust.
Plate Tectonics
- The Earth’s lithosphere is divided into tectonic plates that move over the fluid, molten mantle beneath them.
Major Lithospheric Plates
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Primary Plates:
- African Plate
- Antarctic Plate
- Eurasian Plate
- Australian Plate
- North American Plate
- Pacific Plate
- South American Plate
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Secondary Plates:
- Arabian Plate
- Caribbean Plate
- Cocos Plate
- Juan de Fuca Plate
- Nazca Plate
- Philippine Plate
- Scotia Plate
Scientific Basis for Plate Division
- Movement of tectonic plates is driven by convection currents in the molten mantle, caused by heat from the Earth's core.
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Description
This quiz explores the Earth's lithosphere, differentiating between oceanic and continental crust. Learn about the major lithospheric plates and their scientific classification. Test your understanding of the rigid, rocky outer layer of our planet.
