PRAXIS - SCIENCE (earth and space)

astronomy

the study of space

moons

naturally occurring satellites that orbit a planet; all planets have this except mercury and venus

asteroids and comets

small rocky or icy objects that orbit the sun; many are clustered in the asteroid belt which is located between the orbits of mars and jupiter

Galaxies

consist of gas, dust, and hundreds of billions of stars

stars

hot balls of plasma and gases all held together by gravity; they form in nebulas which are large clouds of dust and gas.

black holes

when large starts collapse

eclipse

when the earth, moon, and sun positions align

lunar eclipse

when earth lines up between the moon and the sun

solar eclipse

occurs when the moon lines up between the earth and the sun.

Geology

study of the minerals and rocks that make up the earth

mineral

naturally occurring, solid, INORGANIC substance with a crystalline structure

rock

can be organic or inorganic, naturally occurring, composed of one or more minerals

igeneous rock

result of tectonic process that bring magma to the earth’s surface; can be above or below the surface

sedimentary rock

formed when rock fragments are compacted as a result of weathering and erosions

metamorphic

form when extreme temperature and pressure change the structure of preexisting rock

weathering

mechanical or chemical processes by which rocks break down

erosion

the resulting sediment is deposited into a new location

deposition

creates new sedimentary rocks

crust

outermost layer of the earth; very thin and broken surface layer

upper mantle

dense layer of rock; cooler and more rigid

lower mantle

hotter and more liquid

outer core

liquid core

inner core

composed of solid iron

lithosphere

the crust and upper later make up this; the planets surface layer; contains tectonic plates

asthenosphere

under lithosphere, semisolid part of mantle

tectonic plates

broken pieces of Earth’s solid outer crust; float on top of the more liquid asthenosphere that flows very slowly beneath them

divergent plate boundary

tectonic plates are moving away from one another

convergent plate boundary

two tectonic plates collide and one plate is pushed upward on top of the other forming mountains, or one is pushed down to form a trench

transform plate boundary

formed when plates move in opposite directions along a boundary

Paleontology

study of the history of life on Earth; they study rock record and fossils

hydrology

the study of water on Earth

oceans

the largest body of water of salt water; five of them; arctic, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and southern; take up 71% of earth’s surface; 97 % of earth's water

tides

cyclic rising and falling water levels at Shorelines which are the result of the gravitational pull of the moon and sun

currents

movements of the ocean water caused by differences in salt content or temperature

waves

carry energy through the water and are caused by wind blowing across the surface of the ocean

lakes

usually of fresh water

seas

mainly saltwater

rives/streams

rain that falls on the land flows into these which are moving bodies of water that flow into lakes, seas, and oceans.

watershed

when all the rain that falls on a given area of land flows into a single body of water, that land area is called this.

glaciers

large masses of ice and snow that move

icebergs

large chunks of ice that break off from glaciers

water cycle

circulation of water throughout the earth’s surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere.

evaporate

water on the earth’s surface that changes from a liquid to a gas and becomes water vapor.

clouds

water vapor in the air that comes together

precipitation

when it cools, the water vapor condenses into liquid and falls from the sky as this

meteorology

the study of weather

atmosphere

above the surface of the earth is the mass of gasses called this; temp decreases with altitude

layers of the earth’s atmosphere

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere

ozone layer

layer of the stratosphere; captures harmful radiation from the sun

cloud

is made up of billions of these tiny water droplets or ice crystals

cirrus clouds

appear highest in the sky; thin and wispy and dont produce precipitation.

stratus clouds

lower level of sky; flat, wispy, white or gray color

cumulus clouds

tall, puffy clouds that are dark at the bottom and white at the top

altocumulus; altostratus

clouds located in the middle level of the sky and produce precipitation that does not reach the ground

hurricane

tropical cyclone that originates over warm ocean water and can cause extensive damage from its winds

tornadoes

form when unstable warm and cold air masses collide and a rotation is created by fast-moving winds.

climate

long-term weather conditions in a geographic location