GLOSSARY

MID-OCEAN RIDGE

A Mid-Ocean ridge is a is general term for an underwater mountain system that consists of various mountain ranges.

SUBDUCTION ZONE

A Subduction Zone is an area where two tectonic plates collide against one another and create effects such as mountain ranges, earthquakes, ocean trenches, volcanoes etc. When they collide, one pushes underneath the other.

TECTONIC PLATES

The outer layers of the Earth are divided into lithosphere and asthenosphere. The tectonic plates are composed of two types of lithosphere: thicker continental and thin oceanic. The lithosphere is broken up into what are called "tectonic plates".