Plate Tectonics Word Search
Free Plate Tectonics word search. We picked 12 themed words — the terms and ideas of a school subject — and laid them out on a 15×15 grid. Drag across the letters to find every word on the list.
Words to find: TECTONICS, LITHOSPHERE, ASTHENOSPHERE, MANTLE, CORE, CRUST, FAULT, MAGMA, LAVA, VOLCANO, EARTHQUAKE, SEISMIC.
Words run in any of eight directions, backwards included — if one refuses to turn up, try reading the grid right to left.
Plate Tectonics word list, defined
- TECTONICS /tɛkˈtɒnɪks/ (British); /tɛkˈtɑːnɪks/ (US) · noun (plural)
- Tectonics is the branch of geology that studies the structure, deformation, and movement of Earth's crust and the forces that produce them. In broader or figurative use, it refers to the structural arrangement and changing relationships within a system. Related: geotectonics, structural geology.
- LITHOSPHERE /ˈlɪθəsˌfɪr/ (US); /ˈlɪθəsˌfɪər/ (UK) · noun
- The rigid outer part of Earth, comprising the crust and the rigid uppermost portion of the mantle. It is divided into tectonic plates that move over the weaker mantle below. Related: lithic crust, crust.
- ASTHENOSPHERE /ˈæsθənəˌsfɪr/ · noun
- The asthenosphere is the mechanically weak, ductile portion of Earth's upper mantle, lying beneath the rigid lithosphere and extending to depths of roughly 100–350 kilometres. It can deform slowly under stress and is involved in plate movement and mantle convection. Related: ductile upper-mantle layer, mechanically weak mantle layer, plastic upper mantle.
- MANTLE /ˈmæntəl/ · noun and verb
- As a noun, a mantle is a cloak or other covering, especially one worn over the shoulders and fastened around the neck; it can also mean a covering or layer, such as the region beneath Earth's crust. As a verb, to mantle something means to cover or conceal it. Related: cloak, cape, cover, covering.
- CORE /kɔːr/ · noun
- The central, innermost, or most essential part of something, whether a physical object (such as an apple or the Earth), or figuratively the heart of an idea, organization, or issue. Related: center, heart, essence, nucleus.
- CRUST /krʌst/ · noun (also verb)
- The hard outer layer of something, especially the baked outer part of a loaf of bread or a pastry; also the Earth's solid outer shell. As a verb, it means to form or cover with a crust. Related: rind, shell, coating, layer.
- FAULT /fɔːlt/ · noun (also verb)
- A fault is a responsibility for an error, failure, or wrongdoing; it also refers to a defect or imperfection in something, or in geology, a fracture in the Earth's crust along which rocks have shifted. Related: defect, flaw, shortcoming, blemish.
- MAGMA /ˈmæɡmə/ · noun
- Molten or partially molten rock found beneath Earth's surface or within a volcano. In figurative use, the term can refer to a powerful, disruptive force or an intense mass of energy. Related: molten rock, molten material.
- LAVA /ˈlɑːvə/ · noun
- Molten rock that erupts from a volcano or forms when molten rock is exposed at the Earth's surface. By extension, the word can refer to a surging mass or flow of people, money, or words. Related: magma, molten rock, molten material.
- VOLCANO /vɒlˈkeɪnəʊ/ (British); /vɑːlˈkeɪnoʊ/ (American) · noun
- A geological structure or opening in Earth's crust through which lava, ash, gases, and other volcanic material may erupt, often forming a cone-shaped mountain. Related: volcanic mountain, volcanic cone.
- EARTHQUAKE /ˈɜːθkweɪk/ · noun
- A sudden violent shaking of the ground, typically causing great destruction, resulting from movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action. Related: tremor, temblor, seism, shock.
- SEISMIC /ˈsaɪzmɪk/ · adjective
- Relating to earthquakes or to the vibrations and waves produced by them. It can also describe a change or event so significant that it causes major disruption. Related: earthquake-related, tectonic, geophysical, disruptive.
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