Plate tectonics

linear ridge on the Indian Ocean floor near the 90th meridian

earthquake that occurs underwater at the bottom of a body of water

geophysical model of the opening and closing of rifts

quasi-periodic aggregation and dispersal of Earth's continental crust

formation of mountains from converging tectonic plates

a volcanic arc in Indonesia

Pacific subduction zone

process by which material is added to a tectonic plate or a landmass

back-arc basin behind the Ryukyu arc-trench system in the West Pacific

transition between oceanic and continental lithosphere that is not an active plate margin

geological processes that underlie the formation of mountains

accounting of the energy flows at and below the planet's crust

Earth history between 1.8 and 0.8 billion years ago, characterized by tectonic stability, climatic stasis, and a slow biological evolution with very low oxygen levels and no evidence of glaciation

place where the Anatolian Plate, the Eurasian Plate and the Arabian Plate meet

one of the five cratons of the Precambrian basement rock of Africa that make up the African Plate

earthquake that occurs at the boundary between two tectonic plates

thumb|275x275px|Cross-section of a subduction zone and back-arc basin. The forearc is the region between the trench and the volcanic arc.

islands or continents supposedly existing during prehistory, having since disappeared

linear oceanic feature

fault system between the African and Arabian plates

part of a continent broken from its main mass

explanation of how energy is released during an earthquake

mid-ocean ridge west of British Columbia, Canada

earthquake with a hypocenter depth exceeding 300 km

old and stable part of the continental lithosphere in central Tanzania

tectonic spreading center off the northern coast of California and southern Oregon

part of the boundary between the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate

zone affected by mountain formation

major seismic zone and a prolific source of intraplate earthquakes in the southern and midwestern United States

meeting point of the boundaries of the South American Plate, the African Plate, and the Antarctic Plate

geological plate boundary

place where the South American, Nazca and Antarctic tectonic plates meet

transform fault in the northwest Indian Ocean between the Arabian and African Plates from the Indian Plate

origins and structure of the mountain range

American geologist (1860–1938)

process occurring when lower continental crust and mantle lithosphere break away from the upper continental crust

Humorous geographical observation

metal deposit in Volcanic Irruption

the migration of the magnetic poles over a planetary surface

geologic distinction in the Pacific Ocean

style of deformation in plate tectonics at a convergent boundary which occurs with shallow thrust faults that only involves cover rocks (typically sedimentary rocks), and not deeper basement rocks

fault in Highland, Scotland, UK

place where the African Plate, the Indo-Australian Plate, and the Antarctic Plate meet

place where the boundaries of the Cocos Plate, the Nazca Plate, and the Pacific Plate meet

undersea massif in the Atlantic Ocean

first key scientific test of the seafloor spreading theory of continental drift and plate tectonics.

Largest continental igneous province on Earth

geological fault in Pakistan and Afghanistan

seabed ridge south of Greece

point where the Pacific Plate, the North American Plate, and the Explorer Plate meet

set of island arcs in eastern Indonesia

place where the Indo-Australian Plate, Pacific Plate, and Antarctic Plate meet

landslides that transport sediment across the continental shelf and into the deep ocean

Polflucht (from German, flight from the poles) is a geophysical concept invoked in 1922 by Alfred Wegener to explain his ideas of continental drift.

geophysical theory

rift valley extending from near Montréal through Ottawa in Canada