lithosphere
surface land areas of the earth's crust, including continents and ocean basins
atmosphere
a layer of gases that surrounds the earth
biosphere
the part of the earth where life exists
continental shelf
the part of a continent that extends underwater
terrestrial planets
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars; planets that have solid, rocky crusts
gas giant planets
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; gaseous, large in diameter, and less dense than terrestrial planets
asteroid
small, irregularly shaped, planet like objects
comet
made of icy dust particles and frozen gases; look like bright balls with long, feathery tails
meteoroids
pieces of space debris - chunks of rock and iron
hydrosphere
the watery areas of the earth, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water
continents
seven large landmasses
oceans
large body of salt water
landforms
natural features of the earth's surface
mantle
thick middle layer of the earth's interior structure, consisting of dense, hot rock
magma
molten rock that is pushed up from the earth's mantle
tectonic plates
pieces of crust that float on the mantle
subduction
a process by which mountains can form as sea plates dive beneath continental plates
convergent boundary
when two plates collide; the sea plate is more dense than the continental plate so it will me pulled down by gravity
divergent boundary
when two plates pull away from each other
accretion
a slow process in which a sea plate slides under a continental plate, creating debris that can cause continents to grow outward
spreading
a process by which new land is created when sea plates pull apart and magma wells up between the plates
Pangaea
one large landmass of all the continents
fold
a bend in layers of rock, sometimes cause by plate movement
fault
a crack or break in the earth's crust
weathering
chemical or physical processes, such as freezing, that break down rocks
erosion
wearing away of the earth's surface by wind, flowing water, or glaciers
loess
fine, yellowish-brown topsoil made up of particles of silt and clay, usually carried by the wind
glacier
large body of ice that moves across the surface of the earth
glaciation
the process whereby glaciers form and spread
moraine
piles of rocky debris left by melting glaciers
sediment
pieces of dust, sand, and soil
core
at the very center of the planet; super hot and solid
crust
a rocky shell forming the earth's surface
internal forces
plate tectonics and formation of volcanos
external forces
erosion and weathering
tsunami
huge sea wave caused by an undersea earthquake
volcano lava
melted rock from volcano
earthquake
sudden, violent movements of plates along a fault line
seismograph
measures earthquakes
Ring of Fire
zone of earthquake and volcanic activity surrounding the Pacific Ocean
mechanical weathering
occurs when large masses of rock are physically broken down into smaller pieces
chemical weathering
changes the chemical makeup of rocks, transforming their minerals or combining them with new elements
hydrologic cycle
regular movement of water from ocean to air to ground and back to the ocean
evaporation
process of converting into vapor
condensation
the process of excess water vapor changing into liquid water when warm air cools
precipitation
moisture that falls to the earth as rain, sleet, hail, or snow
desalination
the removal of salt from seawater to make it usable for drinking and farming
ground water
water within the earth that supplies wells and springs
aquifer
underground water-bearing layers of porous rock, sand, or gravel
water table
underground storage unit for water
lithosphere
surface land areas of the earth's crust, including continents and ocean basins
atmosphere
a layer of gases that surrounds the earth
biosphere
the part of the earth where life exists
continental shelf
the part of a continent that extends underwater
terrestrial planets
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars; planets that have solid, rocky crusts
gas giant planets
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; gaseous, large in diameter, and less dense than terrestrial planets
asteroid
small, irregularly shaped, planet like objects
comet
made of icy dust particles and frozen gases; look like bright balls with long, feathery tails
meteoroids
pieces of space debris - chunks of rock and iron
hydrosphere
the watery areas of the earth, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water
continents
seven large landmasses
oceans
large body of salt water
landforms
natural features of the earth's surface
mantle
thick middle layer of the earth's interior structure, consisting of dense, hot rock
magma
molten rock that is pushed up from the earth's mantle
tectonic plates
pieces of crust that float on the mantle
subduction
a process by which mountains can form as sea plates dive beneath continental plates
convergent boundary
when two plates collide; the sea plate is more dense than the continental plate so it will me pulled down by gravity
divergent boundary
when two plates pull away from each other
accretion
a slow process in which a sea plate slides under a continental plate, creating debris that can cause continents to grow outward
spreading
a process by which new land is created when sea plates pull apart and magma wells up between the plates
Pangaea
one large landmass of all the continents
fold
a bend in layers of rock, sometimes cause by plate movement
fault
a crack or break in the earth's crust
weathering
chemical or physical processes, such as freezing, that break down rocks
erosion
wearing away of the earth's surface by wind, flowing water, or glaciers
loess
fine, yellowish-brown topsoil made up of particles of silt and clay, usually carried by the wind
glacier
large body of ice that moves across the surface of the earth
glaciation
the process whereby glaciers form and spread
moraine
piles of rocky debris left by melting glaciers
sediment
pieces of dust, sand, and soil
core
at the very center of the planet; super hot and solid
crust
a rocky shell forming the earth's surface
internal forces
plate tectonics and formation of volcanos
external forces
erosion and weathering
tsunami
huge sea wave caused by an undersea earthquake
volcano lava
melted rock from volcano
earthquake
sudden, violent movements of plates along a fault line
seismograph
measures earthquakes
Ring of Fire
zone of earthquake and volcanic activity surrounding the Pacific Ocean
mechanical weathering
occurs when large masses of rock are physically broken down into smaller pieces
chemical weathering
changes the chemical makeup of rocks, transforming their minerals or combining them with new elements
hydrologic cycle
regular movement of water from ocean to air to ground and back to the ocean
evaporation
process of converting into vapor
condensation
the process of excess water vapor changing into liquid water when warm air cools
precipitation
moisture that falls to the earth as rain, sleet, hail, or snow
desalination
the removal of salt from seawater to make it usable for drinking and farming
ground water
water within the earth that supplies wells and springs
aquifer
underground water-bearing layers of porous rock, sand, or gravel
water table
underground storage unit for water