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Unit 7 & Unit 8
Earth's Sciece
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| uniformitarianism | The principle of uniformitarianism states that geologic processes that happened in the past can be explained by current geologic processes. |
| fossil | Fossils are the trace or remains of an organism that lived long ago, most commonly preserved in sedimentary rock. |
| trace fossil | A trace fossil is a fossilized structure that formed in sedimentary rock by animal activity on or in soft sediment. |
| climate | The climate of an area describes the weather conditions in the area over a long period of time. |
| ice core | Scientists can drill down into icecaps to collect a long cylinder of ice. |
| relative dating | Determining whether an object or event is older or younger than other objects or events |
| superposition | The law of superposition is the principle that states that younger rocks lie above older rocks if the layers have not been disturbed. |
| unconformity | An unconformity is a break in the geologic record that is made when rock layers are eroded or when sediment is not deposited for a long period of time. |
| geologic column | A geologic column is an ordered arrangement of rock layers that is based on the relative ages of the rocks, with the oldest rocks at the bottom of the column. |
| absolute dating | Determining the actual age of an event or object in years |
| radioactive decay | The breakdown of a radioactive isotope into a stable isotope of the same element or of another element |
| half-life | Half-life is the time needed for half of a sample of a radioactive substance to undergo radioactive decay to form daughter isotopes. |
| radiometric dating | Half-life is the time needed for half of a sample of a radioactive substance to undergo radioactive decay to form daughter isotopes. |
| weathering | The breakdown of rock material by physical and chemical processes |
| physical weathering | The process by which rock is broken down into smaller pieces by physical changes |
| abrasion | Abrasion is the breaking down and wearing away of rock material by the mechanical action of other rock. |
| chemical weathering | Chemical weathering is the breakdown of rocks by chemical reactions. |
| oxidation | The process by which other chemicals combine with oxygen |
| acid precipitation | When these stronger acids fall to Earth |
| erosion | Erosion is the process by which sediment and other materials are moved from one place to another. |
| deposition | Deposition is the process by which eroded material is dropped. |
| floodplain | Many layers of deposited sediment can form a flat area |
| delta | Streams often deposit their loads in a fan-shaped pattern |
| alluvial fan | An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit that forms on dry land. |
| groundwater | Groundwater is the water located within the rocks below Earth’s surface. |
| shoreline | A shoreline is the place where land and a body of water meet. |
| beach | A beach is an area of shoreline that is made up of material deposited by waves and currents. |
| sandbar | A sandbar is an underwater or exposed ridge of sand, gravel, or shell material. |
| barrier island | A barrier island is a long, narrow island, usually made of sand, that forms parallel to the shoreline a short distance offshore. |
| dune | Mounds of wind-deposited sand |
| loess | Thick deposits of this windblown, fine- grained sediment |
| glacier | A glacier is a large mass of moving ice that forms by the compacting of snow by natural forces. |
| glacial drift | Glacial drift is the general term for all of the materials carried and deposited by a glacier. |
| creep | The extremely slow movement of material downslope |
| rockfall | A rockfall happens when loose rocks fall down a steep slope. |
| landslide | A landslide is the sudden and rapid movement of a large amount of material downslope. |
| mudflow | A rapid movement of a large mass of mud |
| mountain | A mountain is a region of increased elevation on Earth’s surface that rises to a peak. |
| lake | A lake is a body of fresh or salt water that is surrounded by land. |
| river | A river is a large, natural stream of water that flows into an ocean or other large body of water, such as a lake. |
| coastline | A coastline is a dynamic boundary between land and the ocean. |
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