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All Earth Science for NYS regents

Quiz yourself by thinking what should be in each of the black spaces below before clicking on it to display the answer.
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Question
Answer
*Glossary   show
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show the physical action of scraping, rubbing, grinding, or wearing away of rock surfaces and sediments due to the movement of solid sediments in an erosional system such as a stream or wind  
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*absolute age   show
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show the amount (mass) of water vapor in a unit volume of air, such as in grams/cubic meter  
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show theoretically, the lowest possible temperature, no heat energy can be extracted at this temperature  
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show taken into a material  
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show small solid or liquid particles suspended in a gas, suspended solid or liquid water are the aerosols that compose fog and clouds  
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*air mass   show
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show see atmospheric pressure  
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show gradient see pressure gradient  
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altitude   show
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show the angle at which the sun's rays hit Earth's surface, also called angle of insolation  
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show a high-pressure mass of air within the troposphere in which air moves out from the center, rotating clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere, also called a high  
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aphelion   show
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apparent diameter   show
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apparent motion   show
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apparent solar day   show
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show a curved line that is part of a circle, the shape of the path of most celestial objects, such as the sun, in their daily motion paths through Earth's sky  
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arid   show
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show a solid, rocky and/or metallic body that independently orbits the sun, large, irregularly shaped, except for the few larger spherical ones, mostly located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter  
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show the plastic, partly solid, partly liquid layer of Earth's mantle just below the lithosphere that allows plate movements  
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show the layers of gases surrounding Earth or other celestial object, Earth's atmosphere is divided into layers according to differences in chemical and physical properties  
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*atmospheric pressure   show
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show how transparent the atmosphere is to insolation, how easily insolation can pass through the air  
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atom   show
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*axis (of rotation)   show
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show the layered arrangement of mineral crystals in some medium to coarse metamorphic rocks, a special type offoliation caused by layering and separation of minerals  
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*barometer   show
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show see atmospheric pressure  
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*barrier island   show
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beach   show
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*bedrock   show
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bench mark   show
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*Big Bang theory   show
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*bioclastic sedimentary rock   show
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blizzard   show
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*breaking waves   show
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show a unit of heat energy defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius  
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calorimeter   show
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*capillarity   show
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show the upward movement of water, against gravity, in part of the soil, loose materials, or bedrock due to capillarity, also called capillary action  
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capillary water   show
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show a radioactive isotope of carbon with a short half-life (5,700 years), used to date recent (up to 70,000-year old) remains of organic material  
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*carbon-14 dating   show
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show a colorless, odorless gas, COa, an important greenhouse gas present in the atmosphere, given off when a fuel containing carbon is burned  
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show any object in the universe outside of Earth's atmosphere, including moons, comets, planets, stars, and galaxies  
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show the process by which solid sediments or clasts are "glued" together by precipitated minerals, forming a sedimentary rock  
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change   show
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change of state   show
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show a rock composed of interconnected crystals of just one mineral that form by evaporation and/or precipitation of dissolved minerals, include rock salt and rock gypsum, also called an evaporite  
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show the processes by which chemicals, such as oxygen, acids, and water, break down rocks and other Earth materials, resulting in more stable new minerals (chemicals), example—rusting  
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show the grouping together of similar observations and inferences to make the study of objects and events in the environment more meaningful or easier to understand  
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show rock that is largely composed of solid sediments, such as the sand in sandstone  
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clasts   show
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clay   show
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show the tendency of a mineral to break along the zones of weakness and form smooth to semi-smooth parallel surfaces  
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show the overall view of a region's weather conditions over long periods of time, includes not only averages, but extremes  
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cloud   show
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show the fraction or percent of the total sky at a location that is covered by clouds, usually expressed in tenths  
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show the boundary of an advancing cold air mass and a warmer air mass, where the underlying cold air pushes forward like a wedge, characterized by a steep slope, rapid changes in weather, thunderstorms, and sometimes hail and tornadoes  
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*comet   show
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compaction   show
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show a substance made of two or more elements chemically combined in a specific proportion, such as most minerals  
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show the change in state or phase from a gas to a liquid, such as when water vapor changes to liquid water droplets as clouds form  
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*conduction   show
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*constellation   show
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show a type of interface or transition zone between rock types caused by the baking or altering of older bedrock by contact with molten rock (lava or magma), much of the older rock is changed into metamorphic rock  
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*contact metamorphism   show
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continental climate   show
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show the part of Earth's crust (upper lithosphere) that makes up the continents and larger islands thicker and lower in density than the oceanic crust, and granitic rather than basaltic in composition  
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show very large glaciers (like those of Antarctica and Greenland), so thick that they cover all landscape features except the highest mountains, tend to create a smooth and low landscape by erosion and deposition see mountain glacier  
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show (cA) the coldest and driest air masses that only invade the contiguous United States from Arctic regions at the coldest times of the year  
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show (cP) cold and dry air masses that invade the contiguous United States from Canada  
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show (cT) relatively rare hot dry air masses that form in the southwestern United States or northern Mexico, that may cause very hot and dry weather for the contiguous United States in the summer  
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show the difference in elevation indicated by two consecutive contour lines (of different value) on contour or topographic maps  
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show an isoline on a topographic, or contour, map that connects points of equal elevation on the surface of any solid celestial body, such as Earth  
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contour map   show
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*convection   show
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show a circulatory motion in a fluid due to convection, also called a convection cell  
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convergence   show
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*convergent plate boundary   show
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*coordinate system   show
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core   show
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*Coriolis effect   show
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show the process of showing that rocks or geologic events from different places are the same or similar in age  
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show see impact crater  
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show the outermost portion of Earth's solid lithosphere, separated from the uppermost mantle and lower lithosphere by the thin Moho interface  
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show (1) the individual mineral grains of many rocks (2) a solid with a definite internal structure of atoms arranged in a characteristic, regular, repeating pattern  
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crystalline   show
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*crystallization   show
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*crystal shape   show
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*crystal structure   show
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*cyclic change   show
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*cyclone   show
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*cyclonic storm   show
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daily motion   show
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show the amount of time it takes a planet or other celestial object to make one rotation  
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*deforestation   show
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show the deposit of sediment at the mouth or end of a river or stream where it flows into a quiet body of water such as a lake or ocean  
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*density   show
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show the process by which sediments are released, dropped, or settled from erosional systems, includes the precipitation of dissolved minerals in the formation of chemical sedimentary rocks, also called sedimentation  
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show a region with an arid climate where the average yearly precipitation is much smaller than potential evapotranspiration  
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dew   show
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show the temperature at which the air becomes saturated with water vapor and the relative humidity is 100%, at temperatures below the dew point, condensation or sublimation of water vapor occurs  
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show rays of sunlight (insolation) that strike Earth at an angle of 90°, also called vertical rays or perpendicular insolation  
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show the amount of water that passes a certain spot in a stream in a specific amount of time, such as liters per minute  
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distorted structure   show
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show (1) the spreading out of air from rising or falling currents of air in the troposphere (2) the type of plate movement in which Earth's plates spread or rift apart from each other, according to the plate tectonic theory  
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show the boundary between two plates that are spreading apart at a mid-ocean ridge or at a continental rift zone  
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show the apparent wavelength shifting of electromagnetic energy (such as visible light) caused by the relative motion between the energy source and the observer, also see redshift  
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down cutting   show
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down-warped ocean basin   show
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show liquid precipitation with drops smaller than raindrops  
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show a time of abnormal dry weather with a large enough deficit of water to cause crops and local water supplies to fail  
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show a low, long, narrow, streamlined oval mound of unsorted sediment that is formed at the bottom of glaciers, usually continental ones  
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dry-bulb thermometer   show
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show see sand dune  
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duration of insolation   show
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show a condition of the balancing out of opposing forces or actions, such as evaporation and condensation or erosion and deposition  
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show a natural, rapid shaking of the lithosphere caused when rocks are displaced due to the release of energy stored in rocks, most caused by rapid movement along faults, but also associated with other events, such as volcanic eruptions  
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earthquake magnitude scale   show
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show the region extending from the rocky part of Earth's surface to Earth's center  
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Earth materials   show
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*eccentricity   show
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show the complete or partial blocking of light when one celestial body moves into the shadow of another celestial body, see lunar eclipse and solar eclipse  
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show energy that is radiated (given off) from all objects (except at absolute zero, examples—visible light, radio waves, infrared radiation, and ultraviolet radiation, often called light or radiant energy  
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*electromagnetic spectrum   show
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element   show
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*elevation   show
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show a closed curve around two fixed points, called foci, in which the sum of the distances between any point of the curve and the foci is a constant, example—the shape of all planetary orbits  
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show a series of weather changes on Earth caused by a change from cold surface ocean water to warm surface ocean water in the eastern Pacific Ocean off western South America, occurs every two to ten years  
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emergency preparedness   show
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*energy   show
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show the balance that exists among the natural parts of the environment even though all parts of the environment are constantly changing  
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show the largest division of geologic time, which is divided into eras  
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*epicenter   show
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show one of the small divisions of geologic time that are combined into periods  
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*equator   show
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equinox   show
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era   show
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show the carrying away of sediment by wind, water, ice, and other agents, the process by which sediments are obtained and transported the wearing away and lowering of Earth's land surface features  
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show the various agents such as streams, glaciers, wind, ocean currents that pick up, transport, and deposit sediments at or near Earth's (or similar celestial object's) surface  
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error   show
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*escarpment   show
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evaporation   show
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show the combination of the processes of evaporation and transpiration  
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evaporite   show
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show the name used to describe the occurrence of a change in the environment  
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evolution   show
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show a mass of igneous rock formed by the cooling and solidification of molten rock (lava) on Earth's surface, examples—a lava flow and a volcanic mountain  
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show a rock formed by solidification of lava at or above Earth's surface, also called volcanic igneous rock  
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show a crack in a mass of rock or soil along which there has been displacement, shifting, or movement of the rock or soil on each side of the crack  
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*faulted (rock)   show
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faulting   show
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show any part of the universe that has some measurable value of a given quantity at every point, such as Earth's magnetic or Sun's gravitational fields  
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show a body of water that forms in a long, narrow U-shaped glacial valley, often partly dammed at one end by a mound of glacial moraine sediment, example—the Finger Lakes of central New York  
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flood   show
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*flood plain   show
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show (1) in an ellipse, either of two fixed points located so that the sum of their distances to any point on the ellipse is constant (2) the place where an earthquake originates  
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show a cloud that is on, or just above, Earth's surface  
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show the bends in layered rock due to movement in the lithosphere, a type of deformed rock  
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show texture of metamorphic rocks caused by the layering of mineral crystals  
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show any physical evidence of former life, either direct or indirect  
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show the organic fuels found within Earth's crust, includes oil (petroleum), natural gas, and coal  
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*Foucault pendulum   show
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*fracture   show
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freezing   show
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freezing rain   show
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show the interface, or boundary, between two air masses of different characteristics  
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fusion   show
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show the large groupings of millions or billions of stars and other forms of mass held together by gravitation our galaxy is called the Milky Way  
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show an early concept of celestial objects and their motions in which all celestial objects revolved around Earth, which was stationary and was the center of the universe  
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show the North and South poles of Earth, with a latitude of 90°, located at opposite ends of Earth's axis of rotation  
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show a chronological model of the geologic history of Earth using the divisions of eons, eras, periods, and epochs, see History of New York State in the Earth Science Reference Tables  
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*glacial groove   show
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*glacial parallel   show
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show a large mass of naturally formed ice on land that moves downhill due to gravity, also see continental glacier and mountain glacier  
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show a recent trend towards a warming of Earth's surface and lower atmosphere (troposphere) possibly caused by human pollution  
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show a layering of sediment or sedimentary rock that shows a gradual change in particle size, with the largest particles on the bottom and the smallest ones on top  
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show the rate of change from place to place within a field, also called slope - amount of change in field gradient = distance through which change occurs  
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show the attractive force that exists between any two objects in the universe, proportional to the product of the masses of the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers, also called gravitational force  
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show the force that pulls objects toward the center of Earth  
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*greenhouse gases   show
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greenhouse effect   show
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show the subsurface water found beneath the water table in the zone of saturation, sometimes used to mean all subsurface water.  
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show a round solid form of precipitation composed of concentric layers of ice and snow, only forms from cumulonimbus (thunderhead) clouds  
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show the time required for half of the atoms in a given mass of a radioactive isotope to decay, or change, to a different isotope  
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show the resistance a mineral offers to being scratched or dented, usually measured by comparison to the Mohs hardness scale of minerals  
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show an object, process, or situation that holds the possibility of injury or death to humans or damage to property  
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show a condition of the atmosphere in which the aerosol content is so high that distant images are blurred, and a cloudless sky does not appear blue  
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show the result of the balance between the total amount of energy an object receives and the total energy it emits, or loses - measured as the average temperature of an object  
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show energy that is transferred from one body to another as a result of a difference in temperature or thermal energy of two bodies, also called heat, also see thermal energy  
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show the modem concept of celestial objects and their motions, in which a rotating Earth and other planets revolve around the sun  
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high tide   show
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*hot spot   show
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show a moist or wet climate where the precipitation is greater than potential evapotranspiration on a yearly average  
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*humidity   show
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show a large, strong cyclonic storm that forms over tropical ocean waters with sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or greater  
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show see water cycle  
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show the liquid water (mostly the oceans) that rests on much of the Earth's solid or rocky surface, included by some scientists—the subsurface water, water in the atmosphere, sea ice, glaciers, and water in life forms  
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show times of widespread glaciation outside of polar areas (see the Pleistocene epoch in Geologic History Of New York State At A Glance in the Earth Science Reference Tables)  
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*igneous rock   show
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show an oval-shaped depression with a raised rim formed by a meteorite, asteroid, or comet colliding with Earth's, or any other solid celestial object's, solid surface  
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*impact event   show
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show a body of older rock within an igneous rock formed when pieces of rock surrounding liquid rock fall into the magma or lava, but don't melt before the liquid rock solidifies  
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*index fossil   show
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*inertia   show
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*inference   show
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*infiltrate   show
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show a type of long-wave electromagnetic radiation  
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show the innermost zone of Earth's core, which is thought to be composed of iron and nickel in a solid state  
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show not organic, thus not part of a life form or made by living or former life forms  
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*insolation (INcoming SOLar radiATION)   show
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*instrument   show
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intensity of insolation   show
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*interface   show
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interpretation   show
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intrusion   show
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show a rock that forms by the cooling and solidification of magma beneath Earth's solid surface, examples—granite or gabbro - also called plutonic igneous rock  
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*island arc   show
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*isobar   show
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*isoline   show
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show an isoline used on weather and climatic maps to connect points of equal air temperature  
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*isotope   show
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*jet stream   show
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joint   show
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*Jovian planets   show
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*kettle lake   show
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kinetic energy   show
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knots   show
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show individual features of Earth's (or any other solid celestial object's) surface from mountain ranges to a mud crack in a puddle  
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show the features of Earth's surface at the interfaces between the atmosphere or the hydrosphere and the top of the lithosphere, also on all other solid celestial bodies  
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*landscape region   show
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show the angular distance north or south of the equator, usually expressed in units of angular measurement such as degrees - minimum latitude 0° at the equator and maximum 90° N or 90° S at the geographic poles  
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latitudinal climatic pattern   show
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lava   show
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leveling forces   show
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light   show
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*lithosphere   show
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show see plate  
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*local time   show
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show an angular distance east or west of the prime meridian, usually expressed in degrees - minimum longitude 0° at the prime meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England, and maximum longitude 180° E or 180° W  
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longshore currents   show
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long-wave electromagnetic   show
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low   show
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low tide   show
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show measures how bright a star would be in relation to the sun if all stars were the same distance from the observer  
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show the darkening of the moon caused by Earth's shadow  
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show the way a mineral looks or shines in reflected light  
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*magma   show
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magnitude   show
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show the mostly solid part of Earth between the crust and the outer core  
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show ocean or sea-like  
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show a coastal climate moderated by the effects of a large body of water (ocean, sea, or lake) - having warmer winters and colder summers than areas of similar latitude not near a large body of water  
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show cool and humid air masses that invade the contiguous United States from the oceans to the northeast and northwest  
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maritime tropical air mass (mT)   show
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*mass   show
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*mass movement   show
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show the 24-hour day established for convenience in time-keeping, derived by averaging the lengths of the apparent solar days in a year  
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show a type of local time divided into exactly 24 hours for the convenience of timekeeping  
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show a curve or bend in a stream or river  
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*measurement   show
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show all the energy of an object or system not related to the individual motions of atoms and molecules, the total of the potential and kinetic energy of an object or system  
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show the change in state or phase from a solid to a liquid  
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*meridian of longitude   show
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*metamorphic rock   show
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*metamorphism   show
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*meteor   show
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show a meteoroid that has landed on Earth's surface  
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meteoroid   show
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show the organic compound CH*, often called swamp gas, that is an important greenhouse gas - major part of the fossil fuel called natural gas  
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show see cyclonic storm  
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*mid-ocean ridge   show
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*Milky Way Galaxy   show
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*mineral   show
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show an individual grain of a mineral  
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show Earth materials that people need, including minerals, rocks, and fossils fuels  
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misconception   show
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*model   show
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show the interface, or boundary zone, between Earth's crust and mantle, short for Mohorovicic discontinuity  
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show a scale used to measure the relative hardness of minerals, ranges from 1 to 10 with talc assigned a hardness of 1 and diamond a hardness of 10  
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moisture   show
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show a measure of the total amount of water vapor the air can hold at a particular temperature, the maximum absolute humidity of a parcel of air at a particular temperature  
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show cyclic and extreme weather changes caused by the shifting wind and pressure belts - especially strong in southeast Asia where summer brings wet weather from the ocean and winter brings dry weather from the continental interior  
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*moon   show
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*moraine   show
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*mountain   show
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mountain glacier   show
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show a non-human-related object, process, or situation that has the possibility of causing loss of life, personal injury, or loss of property, examples-volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides, floods  
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show the materials and energy sources found in the environment that humans use in their daily lives  
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show the location on Earth's surface at the north end of the axis of rotation with a 90° N latitude, also called the geographic north pole  
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North Star   show
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show the combining of the nuclei of smaller elements to form the nuclei of larger elements with some mass being converted into energy - example—the sun produces energy in this way  
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show the perception of some aspect of the environment by one or more human senses, with or without the aid of instruments  
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show the boundary of opposing wedges of cold air masses formed when a cold front overtakes a warm front, lifting the warm air mass off Earth's surface, forming mid-latitude cyclones (lows)  
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show the continuous salty water body that covers 70% of Earth's surface or any one of its major parts such as the Atlantic Ocean - the major part of the hydrosphere  
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show see surface ocean currents  
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ocean floor spreading   show
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show the portion of Earth's crust that is usually below the oceans and not associated with continental areas, thinner and higher in density than continental crust and basaltic rather than granitic in composition  
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*ocean trench   show
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show the path of an object revolving around another object, such as the path of Earth around the sun  
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show the speed of an orbiting body along its orbit at any given time similar to orbital velocity  
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show a rock or mineral deposit that can supply a mineral resource that is worthwhile to mine or drill  
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show an Earth material that is composed of and/or was formed by life forms  
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show the theory stating that life forms change through time, new species of organisms arise by gradual transitional changes from existing species  
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organic sedimentary rocks   show
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show a concept that states that sedimentary rocks and some extrusive igneous rocks, such as lava flows, form in horizontal layers parallel to Earth's surface  
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orogeny   show
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show location at Earth's surface where bedrock is exposed without a cover of soil or other materials  
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*outer core   show
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show the seeping out of gases from Earth's interior through cracks and volcanic eruptions to Earth's surface  
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*outwash plain   show
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oxidation   show
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show a three-atom molecule of oxygen (compared to the more common two-atom molecule of oxygen) that is a pollutant in the troposphere, but is important in the stratosphere where it absorbs much of the ultraviolet insolation from the sun  
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show east-west circles on maps or globes that are equidistant from the equator at all points, and thus maintain the same value of latitude, also called parallels  
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passive margin basin   show
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show the interfaces, or boundaries, of the layers of Earth's atmosphere  
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show the numerical amount, expressed as a percent, by which a measurement diners from a given standard or accepted value  
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show the point in a planet's orbit when it is closest to the sun, occurs for Earth about January 3, when Earth is about 147,000,000 kilometers from the sun  
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period   show
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*permeability   show
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show the speed at which a certain amount of fluid, such as water or oil, can pass through a porous material, the speed at which water moves from above to below Earth's surface  
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perpendicular insolation   show
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show (1) one of the three main forms of matter—liquid, solid, or gas, also called state of matter (2) the varying portion of the lighted part of the moon, Venus, or Mercury visible from Earth  
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phase change   show
🗑
*physical weathering   show
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show a landscape of low elevation and generally level surface with little change in slope, usually characterized by horizontal rock structure  
🗑
planet   show
🗑
show east-west zones on Earth where the wind blows from one direction much of the time, also see prevailing winds, example — the prevailing southwest winds that blow over the contiguous United States  
🗑
show section of the lithosphere that moves around Earth's solid surface, also called a lithospheric plate or tectonic plate  
🗑
*plateau   show
🗑
*plate tectonic theory   show
🗑
show see intrusive igneous rocks  
🗑
*polar front   show
🗑
show the star that is presently almost directly over the geographic North Pole of Earth, also called the North Star  
🗑
pollutants   show
🗑
*pollution   show
🗑
show percentage of open space (pores and cracks) in a material compared to its total volume  
🗑
show the energy possessed by an object as a result of its position or location, chemical conditions, or phase (state) of matter  
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show the amount of water that would be lost from a portion of Earth's surface through evaporation and transpiration over a given time IF the water were available  
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show (1) falling liquid or solid water from clouds toward Earth's surface, (2) a type of sediment deposition in which dissolved minerals come out of solution to form solids, as in the formation of chemical sedimentary rocks such as rock salt  
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precipitation gauge   show
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show a type of inference about the conditions and behavior of the environment in the future  
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show that the physical, chemical, biological, and geological events today are similar to those in the past - thus we can interpret the past by understanding the present  
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show the conditions or state of the atmosphere for a short period of time at a location determined by comparison with a standard list produced by the United States Weather Service, see Weather Map Information in the Reference Tables  
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pressure gradient   show
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show winds that blow from a certain compass direction for a large part of a year - usually associated with the planetary wind belts  
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primary waves   show
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show the meridian of 0° longitude, also called the Meridian of Greenwich  
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*probability   show
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show a model, usually drawn from a topographic map, that uses upward and downward changes of a line to show changes in elevation and slope, a side view of an area's topography, or landscape  
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show an instrument that is used to indirectly measure the amount of water vapor in air, such as a sling psychrometer, with the use of data tables, temperature readings from a psychrometer can be used to determine relative humidity and dew point  
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show the waves in earthquakes that travel through Earth's interior and cause particles through which they travel to vibrate in the direction the waves are moving, the fastest-moving of all earthquake waves, also called primary waves  
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*radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging instrument)   show
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radiation   show
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radioactive dating   show
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radioactive decay   show
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show any rock or mineral that condradioactive atoms  
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show liquid precipitation larger than drizzle or 0.5mm  
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show a type of precipitation gauge that measures liquid precipitation  
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rain shower   show
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*rate of change   show
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show a process in the formation of metamorphic rocks by which mineral crystals grow in size at the expense of older crystals or sediments without true melting  
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show the type of Doppler effect caused by an increase in distance between the observer and the source of the electromagnetic radiation - a displacement towards longer wavelengths of electromagnetic energy, used as evidence for the Big Bang theory  
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reflected   show
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reflection   show
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show waves bent during passage through materials of varying density so that the direction is changed, example—light waves refracted by water  
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refraction   show
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show process of formation of metamorphic rock over large areas due to an increase in temperature and pressure, usually as the result of mountain building associated with plate collision or convergence  
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relative dating   show
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shore, or shoreline   show
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sink in an energy system   show
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sleet   show
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slope   show
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smog   show
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snow   show
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snow shower   show
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show the part of the ground that will support rooted plants, the product of weathering of rock and the actions of living organisms  
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solar eclipse   show
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show see insolation  
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show the time it takes for Earth to rotate from solar noon to solar noon on two successive days at any fixed location on Earth  
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show the time at which the sun reaches its highest point in the sky at any fixed location  
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*solar system   show
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show the local time based on the actual motions of the sun in the sky, sundial time  
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*solidification   show
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show the two times of the year when the vertical rays of the sun fall the farthest from the equator, see summer solstice and winter solstice  
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show a condition in which all the particles in a material are the same or similar in size  
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show a deposit of sediments that are similar in size (or shape, or density), the greater the similarity of particles the more sorted the sediments  
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show a region that has a higher energy concentration than its surroundings, energy flows from the source  
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source region   show
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space   show
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*species   show
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*specific heat   show
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show how much distance is covered in a specific amount of time, such as kilometers per second  
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show a worldwide system of 24 north- south zones, that are 15 degrees of longitude wide, which keep the same local time  
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stages of landscape development   show
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show usually a large ball of gas held together by gravity that produces tremendous amounts of energy and shines, also called a sun  
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show see phase  
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*stationary front   show
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show model cities and other weather station sites on weather maps represented by circles, with symbols in and around each circle that indicate the many weather variables  
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show a violent disturbance in the atmosphere that usually creates dangerous, destructive, and/or unpleasant conditions at Earth's surface  
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show the layers or beds of sedimentary rock and extrusive igneous rock  
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show the color of the powder of a mineral which is usually more consistent than normal mineral color  
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show water flowing through a channel on land - examples—a large river or a narrow creek  
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*stream abrasion   show
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stream bed   show
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*stream channel shape   show
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show see discharge  
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show the shape of the stream courses in an area as viewed from the sky  
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show see rock structure  
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*subduction   show
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show the portion of a plate that sinks down into Earth's interior (asthenosphere) where converging plates cause subduction to take place  
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show the change of state from a solid directly to a gas or from a gas to a solid with no intermediate liquid state, example—the forming of frost by sublimation of water vapor into ice  
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show the sinking or depression of part of Earth's surface  
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show all liquid water found in soil, sediment, and bedrock beneath Earth's surface - see also groundwater  
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summer solstice   show
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show (1) star at the center of our solar system (2) another name for any star  
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sundial   show
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*sunspot   show
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sun's vertical rays   show
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superposition   show
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show a continuous horizontal flow of water at or near the ocean's surface driven by the prevailing winds, also called ocean currents  
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show a method of weather prediction that uses a synopsis or summary of the total weather picture (often using a weather map) to predict future weather  
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*S-waves   show
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technology   show
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tectonic forces   show
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show see plate  
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*temperature   show
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*terrestrial planets   show
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*texture   show
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show the energy of motion of atoms and molecules, see heat energy  
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show an instrument used to measure temperature that usually consists of a confined fluid (alcohol or mercury) that expands and contracts with temperature changes  
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show a local, short-lived storm from cumulonimbus (thunderhead) clouds that always has lightning and thunder, often associated with heavy rain, high winds, hail, and less commonly, tornadoes and flooding  
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*tides   show
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tilted strata   show
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show the sense of things happening one after another or the duration of an event  
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show One of the 24 north-south trending zones, that are 15 degrees of longitude wide, that keep time based upon its relative angular distance from Greenwich Mean Time which has a longitude of Zero degrees  
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show a model of the elevation field of a solid celestial object, such as Earth, using contour lines and other symbols, also called a contour map  
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topography   show
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show a narrow cyclonic storm with very high wind speeds characterized by a very low air pressure and a twisting funnel that touches the ground, formation often associated with cumulonimbus (thunderhead) clouds  
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show the path of movement of an air mass, front, or storm, weather tracks are often predictable, which helps in forecasting  
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trade-off   show
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*transform plate boundary   show
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*transpiration   show
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transported sediment   show
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transported soil   show
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show a wave that vibrates at right angles to its direction of motion, examples—electromagnetic energy and earthquake S-waves  
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show small stream or river that flow into a larger stream or river  
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show the part of the atmosphere immediately above Earth's surface, where most weather changes occur  
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*tsunami   show
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show a form of electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength than visible light - mostly absorbed by gases of the atmosphere, especially ozone in the stratosphere, before reaching Earth's surface  
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show a buried eroded surface causing a break, or gap, in the rock record  
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*universe   show
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*unsorted   show
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*unsorted sediments   show
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*uplifted   show
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wind direction   show
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wind erosion   show
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wind speed   show
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wind vane   show
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show wind speed with a directional aspect  
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winter solstice   show
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year   show
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show mountains that are presently rising because they are at the location of converging plates or at the site of a hot spot  
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show the soil, loose materials, or bedrock from Earth's surface down to the water table, where the pores are only partly filled with liquid water, air fills the rest of the pores  
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zone of saturation   show
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  show
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