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Earth Science Vocab
Mrs. Dionne 7th Science
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Geological Time Scale | A calendar of events in Earth history that is subdivided into units of time; eons, eras, periods, and epochs. |
| Global Scale | Changes that happen across the entire planet or across whole continents. |
| Plate Tectonics | The scientific theory that Earth’s outer layer is broken into massive pieces (plates) that move slowly over the mantle. |
| Tectonic Boundaries | A boundary or interface where two or more tectonic plates meet and interact (collide, pull apart, or slide). |
| Ring of Fire | A major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. |
| Convergent Boundaries | A place where two tectonic plates are colliding or pushing together. |
| Divergent Boundaries | A place where two tectonic plates are pulling apart from each other. |
| Transform Boundaries | A place where two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally. |
| Slab | The portion of a tectonic plate that is being subducted (pushed down) into the mantle at a plate boundary. |
| Trench | A long, narrow ditch in the ocean floor, typically formed at a subduction zone where one plate sinks. |
| Ridge | A long narrow hilltop, mountain range, or watershed that forms a prominent high line in the landscape. |
| Local Scale | Changes that happen in a small, specific area, such as a single hillside or a town. |
| Weathering | The chemical, physical, or biological process of breaking down rock into smaller pieces called sediment. |
| Erosion | The process of moving sediment from one place to another by wind, water, or ice. |
| Natural Hazard | A natural process or event that has the potential to cause harm to humans or the environment. |
| Natural Disaster | The actual negative impact that occurs when a natural hazard strikes a populated area, harming the community. |
| Forecasting | A scientific claim about the likelihood or probability of an event based on observed patterns in data. |
| Prediction | A specific statement of exactly when, where, and how large an event will be (more precise than forecasting). |
| Mitigation | Actions taken to reduce, minimize, or prevent the damage and impact caused by a natural hazard. |
| Frequency | How often an event occurs in a certain area over a specific period of time. |
| Earthquake | A sudden and violent shaking of the ground as a result of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action. |
| Magnitude | The measure of the strength, intensity, or "size" of a natural hazard event. |
| Seismometer | A highly sensitive instrument that detects and records the vibrations and seismic waves caused by earthquakes. |
| Volcano | A mountain or hill, typically cone shaped, having a crater or vent through which lava, rock fragments, hot vapor, and gas erupt from the crust. |
| Magma | Hot fluid or semifluid material below or within the Earth's crust from which lava and igneous rock are formed. |
| Lava | Hot molten or semifluid rock that has erupted onto the surface from a volcano. |
| Tiltmeter | A sensor used to measure very small changes in the slope or "bulge" of the ground, often to monitor rising magma in volcanoes. |
| Remote Sensing | The process of gathering information about Earth’s surface from a distance (like from planes or satellites) without making physical contact. |
| Tornado | A mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud. |
| Tornado Alley | An area in the central U.S. where dry, cold air from Canada and moist, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico meet. |
| Doppler Radar | Radar technology that detects the speed and direction of wind and rain to identify rotating storms like tornadoes. |
| Blizzard | Heavy snowstorms with wind gusts over 35 mph, low visibility, and conditions lasting at least three hours. |
| Wildfire | Uncontrolled fires that burn in wildland vegetation, often in areas of high heat and drought. |
| Tornado | A mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud. |
| Tornado Alley | An area in the central U.S. where dry, cold air from Canada and moist, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico meet. |
| Doppler Radar | Radar technology that detects the speed and direction of wind and rain to identify rotating storms like tornadoes. |
| Blizzard | Heavy snowstorms with wind gusts over 35 mph, low visibility, and conditions lasting at least three hours. |
| Wildfire | Uncontrolled fires that burn in wildland vegetation, often in areas of high heat and drought. |
| Drought | Natural Earth processes that occur where there is continuously dry weather for months or years. |
| Hurricane | A storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone occurring in the Caribbean and Atlantic oceans. |
| Satellite Imagery | Photographs or data collected from orbiting satellites used to track weather patterns, hurricane formation, and wildfire smoke. |
| Surveying | The systematic investigation of the geology beneath a given piece of ground for the purpose of creating a geological map or model. |
| InSAR | Interferometric synthetic aperture radar is a radar technique used in geology and remote sensing. |
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