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Earth and Space Sci
vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| air mass | a large body or air with uniform characteristics |
| asthenosphere | a layer of the earth that lies about 50 miles below the surface |
| astronomy | the study of objects and formations in the universe |
| atmosphere | and envelope of gasses surrounding Earth |
| axix | an imaginary line, from north to south, through the center of a planet |
| big bang model | theory that explains the origin of our universe |
| black dwarf | the stage of a stars life following the white dwarf |
| black hole | the end stage of a very massive star's life; follows supernova |
| carbon cycle | the movement of carbon through the environment |
| closed universe theory | theory suggesting that if the universe has a great density, it is closed like a sphere |
| continental drift | a theory that describes how the continents moved on the surface of Earth to their current position |
| core | the innermost layer of Earth; consists of an outer core and an inner core |
| crust | the outermost layer of Earth |
| current | a body of water moving in a direction |
| deposition | the process of rocks and sediments being deposited |
| earthquake | an event resulting from the shifting of tectonic plates |
| elliptical galaxy | a galaxy that looks circular or oval |
| erosion | movement of weathered rock from one place to another |
| exosphere | the highest part of Earth's atmosphere |
| flat universe theory | theory suggesting that the universe has a density that is neither great nor little and is flat and infinite |
| focus | the area of energy release inside Earth causing an earthquake |
| fossils | naturally preserved remains or traces of animal or plant life from the past |
| front | the boundary where two air masses meet |
| globular clusters | old clusters of stars within a spiral galaxy |
| gravity | the force that causes all matter to be attracted to other matter |
| greenhouse effect | the trapping of heat by gasses in the atmossphere |
| heliocentric | theory that all object in our solar system revolve around the sun, introduced by Nicolaus Copernicus in early 16th century |
| humidity | the amount of moisture in the air |
| hurricane | a large low-pressure system with organized circulation |
| hydrosphere | the "sphere" that contains all of Earth's water |
| igneous rocks | rocks formed when magma cools and hardens |
| irregular galaxy | a galaxy with no regular shape |
| lithosphere | the upper part of the mantle and the crust |
| lunar eclipse | phenomenon that occurs when the moon passes through the Earth's shadow |
| magma | rock that exists in a semi-solid state |
| main-sequence star | a star that has a central core that fuses hydrogen to form helium |
| mantle | the semi-solid layer of Earth's atmosphere |
| mesosphere | the third highest layer of the Earth's atmosphere |
| metamorphic rocks | rocks formed when other rocks are subjected to heat and pressure |
| Milky Way | our galaxy; a spiral galaxy |
| natural resources | materials that occur in nature |
| nebula(e) | dense clouds in regions of relatively empty space |
| neuron star | the stage of a star's life following supernova |
| nitrogen cycle | the movement of nitrogen through the environment |
| nonrenewable resources | resources that are being consumed faster than they are produces |
| open universe theory | theory suggesting that if the universe has a small density, it is curved negatively and is open and infinite |
| ozone layer | part of the atmosphere made of ozone |
| Pangaea | the last supercontinent on Earth |
| penumbra | a shadow that is cast during a solar eclipse, a partial solar can be seen within this shadow |
| phase | the way the moon appears to an observer on Earth; it occurs because we see different portions of the moon illuminated by the sun as the moon orbits around Earth |
| planetary nebula | a red giant that has collapsed and becomes a hot core of carbon |
| plate tectonics | the theory that describes Earth's surface being made of rigid, moving plates |
| pollution | the contamination of natural resources |
| red giant | a star that has used up its hydrogen and expands |
| red supergiant | a star more massive than the sun that has used up its hydrogen |
| renewable resources | resources that are replaced quickly and can be used repeatedly |
| revolution | the path of an object around another object |
| Richter scale | scale used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake |
| rotating | the turning of an object on its axis |
| seasons | spring, summer, autumn, and winter |
| sedimentary rocks | rocks made from fragments of material such as sand, shells and pebbles |
| seismic waves | waves that carry the energy released from an earthquake |
| solar eclipse | the passing of the moon directly between the sun and Earth |
| solar system | a system that contains a star, planets, and other objects |
| spiral galaxy | a galaxy that has a center of old stars with arms of dust, gas, and younger stars |
| stratosphere | the second highest layer of Earth's atmosphere |
| sunspots | concentrations of the sun's magnetic field |
| supernova | the explosion of a red supergiant |
| thermosphere | the fourth highest layer of Earth's atmosphere |
| tide | phenomenon that occurs when the moon's gravity and the Earth's rotation cause the oceans to bulge out in places |
| troposphere | the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere |
| tsunami | a set of ocean waves triggered by a earthquake |
| umbra | a smaller shadow that is cast during a solar eclipse, a total solar eclipse can be seen within this shadow |
| weathering | the process of rock decomposition |
| white dwarf | the stage of a stars life following planetary nebula |
Created by:
cmseymour
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