Glossary of Terms

Lava: This the general term for erupted material of magma which extruded on to the earth surface 

Lithospheric Plates: This is the solid and surface portion of the earth. It includes the crust and part of the upper mantle and is of the order of 100 km in thickness. 

Ma: Millions of years before the present. 

Mesozoic: This is an era of geologic time from about 225 to about 65 million years ago. 

Plate tectonics: This is a theory in geology which explains that the lithosphere is divided into a number of rigid bodies ( plates). These plates that interact with another at their boundaries, causing seismic and tectonic activity along these boundaries.

Seismic activity (Seismicity): The relative frequency and distribution of earthquakes in a region.

Tectonically complex zone: The structures (for example, bedding, faulting, folding) and features of the displayed geological units in a region which have resulted from forces or movements coming from different directions.

Ophiolite: The group of mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks. (Mafic: This is the composition of an igneous rock, which contains ferromagnesian and dark-coloured minerals. Ultramafic: This is the composition of an igneous rock, which has been composed chiefly by mafic minerals).