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Earth Vocab
Science
Term | Definition |
---|---|
atmosphere | a mixture of gases that surrounds Earth: 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other gases, including carbon dioxide and water vapor. |
biosphere | the whole area of Earth where life exists; made up of land (lithosphere), water(hydrosphere), and air (atmosphere). |
lithosphere | the hard, outer most layer of Earth; made up of the crust and the hard, upper part of the mantle. |
hydrosphere | the surface waters of Earth and the water vapor in the atmosphere. |
tectonic plates | large slabs of lithosphere that move around on the asthenosphere (upper mantle). |
stress | amount of force per unit area that is put on a given material. |
compression | the type of stress in which an object is squeezed, as when tectonic plates collide. |
tension | the type of stress in which forces act to stretch an object, as when tectonic plates pull away from each other. |
folding | the bending of rock layers due to stress in Earth’s crust (3 types: anticline, syncline, monocline) |
faulting | when Earth’s crust breaks and the blocks of crust slide past each other (3 types: normal, reverse, strike-slip). |
uplift | the process by which regions of Earth’s crust are raised to a higher elevation. |
volcanism(volcanic mountains) | mountains form when molten rock erupts onto Earth’s surface, adding material to Earth’s surface. |
rock cycle | he continual process by which new rock is formed rorm old rock material. |
weathering | the process by which water, ice, heat, and wind act to break down rocks. |
erosion | the process by which particles of rock are removed from their source; the removal and transport of rock and soil by the flow of water and by the actions of gravity, wind and ice. |
deposition | the process in which water, ice, wind and gravity drop newly formed sediments. |
rock | a solid mixture of crystals of one or more minerals. |
mineral | a naturally formed solid material with a crystal structure; has unique physical properties such as color, hardness, luster, and streak. |
igneous rock | forms when hot liquid rock cools and hardens. |
sedimentary rock | forms when rocks are broken down into smaller pieces (sediment) harden into new rock. |
metamorphic rock | forms when rock is heated and /or squeezed. |