Earth Science SOL Review

Flashcards covering vocabulary terms from the Earth Science SOL review notes.

Density

Expresses the relationship between mass and volume.

Scale

Relates to actual distance on maps.

Topographic maps and satellite imagery

Two-dimensional models providing information about three-dimensional landforms.

Grid systems of latitude and longitude

Used to define locations and directions on maps, globes, and charts.

Nature of science

Foundational concepts governing how scientists explain the natural world.

Hypothesis

A tentative explanation that accounts for a set of facts and can be tested.

Scientific theories

Systematic sets of concepts that offer explanations for observed patterns in nature.

Scientific laws

Generalizations of observational data that describe patterns and relationships.

Meteoroid

Debris located outside Earth's atmosphere

Meteor

Debris located within Earth's atmosphere

Meteorite

Debris that has broken apart into smaller pieces before reaching Earth's surface.

Asteroids

Leftover debris of the formation of the solar system, or creations of the collisions of other asteroids.

Mineral

A naturally occurring, inorganic, solid substance with a definite chemical composition and structure.

Carbonate group of minerals

composed of the carbonate compound CO3. Some common carbonates are calcite and dolomite.

Oxide group of minerals

Composed of oxygen and a metal. Some common oxides include hematite and magnetite.

Igneous rock

Rock formed from molten rock that cools and hardens either below or on Earth’s surface.

Extrusive

Igneous rocks that have small or no crystals, resulting in fine-grained or glassy textures.

Intrusive

Igneous rocks that have larger crystals and a coarser texture.

Sedimentary rocks

Rocks formed either by rock fragments or organic matter being bound together or by chemical precipitation

Clastic

Sedimentary rocks made up of fragments of other rocks

Metamorphic rocks

Rocks formed when any rock is changed by the effects of heat, pressure, or chemical action.

Foliated metamorphic rocks

Metamorphic rocks that have bands of different minerals.

Renewable resources

Can be replaced by nature at a rate close to the rate at which they are used.

Nonrenewable resources

Are replenished very slowly or not at all.

Coastal Plain

Flat area composed of young, unconsolidated sediments underlain by older crystalline basement rocks.

Piedmont

An area of rolling hills underlain by mostly ancient igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Blue Ridge

A high ridge separating the Piedmont from the Valley and Ridge Province.

Valley and Ridge province

An area with long parallel ridges and valleys underlain by ancient folded and faulted sedimentary rocks.

Appalachian Plateau

Has rugged, irregular topography and is underlain by ancient, flat-lying sedimentary rocks.

Weathering

The process by which rocks are broken down chemically and physically by the action of water, air, and organisms.

Erosion

The process by which Earth materials are physically incorporated by moving water, ice, or wind for transportation.

Deposition

The process by which Earth materials carried by wind, water, or ice settle out and are left in a location when energy levels decrease.

Karst topography

Developed in areas underlain by carbonate rocks, including limestone and dolomite. Includes features like caves and sinkholes and forms when limestone is slowly dissolved away by slightly acidic groundwater.

Permeability

A measure of the ability of a rock or sediment to transmit water or other liquids.

Fossil

The remains, impression, or other evidence preserved in rock of the former existence of life.

Relative time

Places events in a sequence without assigning any numerical ages.

Absolute time

Places a numerical age on an event.

Estuaries

Areas where fresh and salt water mix, producing variations in salinity and high biological activity.

Weather

Describes day-to-day changes in atmospheric conditions.

Climate

Describes the typical weather patterns for a given location over a period of many years.

Coriolis effect

Causes deflections of the atmosphere due to the rotation of Earth.

Big Bang theory

States that the universe began in a very hot, dense state that expanded and eventually condensed into galaxies.

Solar nebular theory

Explains that the planets formed through the condensing of the solar nebula.

Light-year

The distance light travels in one year.