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Planet Earth MidTerm
TCI Planet Earth
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| crust | Earth’s thin, cool, and rigid outermost rock layer |
| mantle | Earth’s hot, middle rock layer, located between the crust and the core |
| core | Earth’s hot, dense, innermost rock layer, located below the mantle |
| conduction | the transfer of energy between objects that are touching; causes energy to move from the warmer object to the cooler object |
| density | a property of matter that is equal to the amount of mass in a certain volume of matter |
| convection | the transfer of energy caused by the circulation of matter due to differences in density |
| radiation | the transfer of energy as light through space or transparent objects |
| erosion | the removal of rock material by wind, water, ice, or gravity |
| weathering | the physical or chemical breakdown of rock on Earth’s surface |
| deposition | the accumulation of eroded rock material transported from another location |
| uplift | the upward movement of large areas of Earth’s crust caused by forces deep beneath the surface |
| uniformitarianism | the idea that any natural processes we can observe today happened in the same way in the past and will also happen in the same way in the future |
| hypothesis | a prediction or statement based on limited evidence that can be tested by observation and experimentation |
| continental drift | the hypothesis that the continents slowly drifted to their current positions after having been part of a single, giant landmass that broke apart |
| fault | a break in Earth’s crust where the rocks on either side have moved |
| seafloor spreading | the process by which the rocks on either side of the mid-ocean ridge slowly pull away from each other, allowing molten rock to rise, solidify, and form new seafloor |
| criteria | the requirements that must be met for an engineering solution to be successful |
| constraints | the limitations on an engineering solution |
| scientific theory | a well-established group of ideas or models that is supported by a large amount of evidence and that can be used to explain many different phenomena |
| plate tectonics | the scientific theory that the lithosphere is made up of rigid pieces, called tectonic plates, that move across Earth’s surface |
| subduction | the process by which a collision between two tectonic plates forces the denser plate under the less dense plate |
| igneous rock | rock formed from the cooling and solidification of magma on or below Earth’s surface |
| sedimentary rock | rock formed from the deposition of dissolved materials, rock fragments, or the remains of organisms |
| metamorphic rock | rock changed in composition or texture by heat and pressure |
| mineral | a substance that is made of crystals and has a specific chemical composition and geometric shape |
| crystal | a solid structure with atoms arranged in a repeating geometric pattern |
| extrusive rock | igneous rock that forms when magma cools quickly on Earth’s surface |
| intrusive rock | igneous rock that forms when magma slowly hardens below Earth’s surface |
| rock cycle | the continuous set of processes by which rock can change from one type to another; a model of how the flow of energy drives the cycling of rock material in the geosphere |
| water cycle | the global movement of water powered by energy from the sun and Earth’s gravity |
| evaporation | the change in state from a liquid to a gas |
| transpiration | the transport of water from plant roots to leaves, where it evaporates into the atmosphere |
| condensation | the change in state from a gas to a liquid |
| runoff | the process by which surface water flows downhill into rivers, lakes, and the ocean |
| precipitation | the process by which water falls to the ground from clouds in the atmosphere in the form of rain, sleet, snow, or hail |
| infiltration | the process by which surface water seeps into the ground through the soil and rock layers |
| groundwater | water located underground that fills pore spaces in soil and rock layers |
| renewable resource | a natural resource that is replenished faster than it is used up, or exists in such great supply that it cannot be depleted |
| natural resource | a useful source of material or energy that comes from nature |
| nonrenewable resource | a natural resource that is used up faster than it is replenished, or exists in a limited supply |
| sustainable | the use of natural resources in a way that ensures their availability to future generations of humans |
| petroleum | a liquid that formed millions of years ago from the burial of marine organisms; can be used as a source of energy |
| geothermal energy | energy from Earth’s hot interior |
| soil | a mixture of rock and mineral particles, living and once-living matter, water, and air |
| ore | a rock that contains a large amount of valuable elements; can be mined for a profit |
| total consumption | the total amount of a certain resource consumed by all the people in a certain area on Earth |
| per capita consumption | the average amount of a certain resource consumed by a single person in a certain area on Earth |
| relative dating | the process of determining the order in which events in Earth’s history occurred |
| absolute dating | the process of determining the approximate age of a rock, fossil, or event |
| law of superposition | states that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest rock is at the bottom and the youngest rock is at the top |
| principle of lateral continuity | states that sediments are deposited in layers that extend horizontally in all directions until they reach an obstacle |
| principle of original horizontality | states that rock layers form when sediments are deposited in horizontal layers due to gravity |
| law of cross-cutting relationships | states that the rock feature that cuts across another rock feature is the younger of the two features |
| law of fossil succession | states that the sequence of changes in organisms as recorded by fossils is the same everywhere the fossils are found on Earth |
| index fossil | a fossil of an organism that lived over a widespread area for a short period of geologic time and so can be used to date the rock layers in which it occurs |
| mass extinction | the extinction of a large number of species over a relatively short period of time |
| geologic time scale | a model of Earth’s history divided into eons, eras, periods, and epochs |
| glacial period | during an ice age, a time of even cooler temperatures, when large ice sheets advance from the poles toward the equator |
| interglacial period | during an ice age, a time of warmer temperatures, when large ice sheets begin to melt and retreat toward the poles |
| rate of weathering, type of earth material, steepness of the slope All of the above |
Created by:
RobRand
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