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8 Earth Science
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| continental crust | Crust that lies beneath a continent. It is about 25–70 km thick and is less dense than oceanic crust. |
| crust | The outermost layer of Earth. It is made of solid rock and is 5–70 km thick. It is thickest underneath the continents. |
| inner core | The innermost layer of Earth. It is a solid mixture of iron and nickel at extreme pressures and temperatures. |
| mantle | The thickest layer of Earth, between the core and the crust. It is made of solid and partially melted rock. It can flow over very long timescales. |
| oceanic crust | Crust that lies beneath an ocean. It is about 5–10 km thick and is made up of basalt, a dense volcanic rock. |
| outer core | The layer of Earth that lies between the mantle and inner core. It is a liquid mixture of iron and nickel. Its flow generates Earth's magnetic field. |
| igneous rock | Any rock formed by the cooling of magma or lava. The size of the crystals in the rock indicates the speed at which it cooled. |
| metamorphic rock | Any rock that has been changed by intense heat and pressure. Heat and pressure can change the types of minerals and the size and shape of the crystals. |
| sedimentary rock | Any rock formed when sediment is compacted or cemented. It can also form from the remains of living things. |
| weathering | The breakdown of rocks into small grains or soil. This occurs by wind, flowing water, heat and other processes. |
| sediment | Small rock fragments such as mud, sand or gravel. They form when rock is exposed to weathering and erosion. |
| rock cycle | The set of changes that turn one rock type into another. This occurs over millions of years. |
| minerals | A natural substance usually found as crystals in rocks. They are the building blocks of rocks and are pure substances. |
| magma | Hot liquid rock located below the Earth's surface. Can rise to the surface to form volcanoes. |
| lava | Hot liquid rock located above the Earth's surface. When magma rises up from underground and flows on the surface it is called this. |
| compaction | The squeezing of sediment by the weight of overlying layers |
| cementation | The gluing together of sediment by new mineral crystals |
| fossil | The remains or traces of an ancient organism preserved in rock. This provides information about how life evolved and how Earth's surface has changed. |
| continental drift | The movement of continents around the surface of Earth. The theory was proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912 but was widely accepted only in the 1960s. |
| convergent boundary | A place where two tectonic plates move towards each other. At this boundary, mountain ranges, ocean trenches and volcanoes can form. |
| divergent boundary | A place where two tectonic plates move away from each other. At this boundary, rift valleys and mid-ocean ridges can form. |
| earthquake | The sudden shaking of Earth's surface caused by two slabs of rock suddenly slipping against each other. |
| hotspot | An unusually hot part of the mantle where volcanoes can form. Here magma can rise through the crust to form volcanoes, even away from plate boundaries. |
| lithosphere | The rigid outer part of Earth, made of the crust and upper mantle. It is divided into slow-moving tectonic plates. |
| subduction | The sinking of one tectonic plate beneath another |
| tectonic plate | A section of the crust and upper mantle. The movements of these causes most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. |
| transform boundary | A place where two tectonic plates slide past each other. At this boundary, earthquakes often occur as pressure along faults is suddenly released. |
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