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Tectonic Plates MS-ESS2-3

NGSS

asthenosphere

the soft upper mantle layer under lithospheric plates
asthenosphere Simple Definition

continental drift

the hypothesis that all the continents are moving very slowly across Earth’s surface
continental drift Simple Definition

geologic time scale

a timeline of Earth's history based on major changes
geologic time scale Simple Definition

hot spot

an area where magma melts through the crust above it
hot spot Simple Definition

index fossil

a fossil from an organism that existed for a short time, it is used to determine the age of other fossils
index fossil Simple Definition

lithosphere

the rigid outer layer of Earth made up of the crust and upper mantle
lithosphere Simple Definition

mid ocean ridge

a long mountain range on the seafloor formed by lava eruptions through Earth’s crust
mid ocean ridge Simple Definition

ocean trench

a deep part of the seafloor where a subducting slab bends down
ocean trench Simple Definition

seafloor spreading

the formation of new seafloor by magma at a mid-ocean ridge
seafloor spreading Simple Definition

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