Studied by 27 people
abrasion
a way rocks are weathered by winds blowing sand against rock, or ice in a glacier rubbing against rock
acid precipitation
rain that is more acidic than usual and speeds up the weathering process
asthenosphere
the layer immediately below the lithosphere that is made of rock that can flow
chemical weathering
involves a change in the chemistry of rocks
compression
the stress that squeezes or shortens material, can cause folds
continental drift
the hypothesis that today’s continents were once part of a single landmass
contour interval
the difference in elevation between the two contour lines
contour line
lines that connect points of equal elevation
convergent boundary
a boundary where two tectonic plates collide
deformation
the bending, tilting, and breaking of rock
delta
a fan shaped mass where streams enter the ocean
deposition
lays down rock, sediment, and soil
divergent boundary
a boundary where two tectonic plates move away from each other
erosion
transports rock, sediment, and soil from one place to another
exfoliation
buried rock is exposed to the earth’s surface and the top layer flakes off due to the release of pressure
faults
where the rock breaks
folds
where the rock bends, but does not break
glaciers
large mass of ice that exists year round and flows slowly over land
ice wedging
when water seeps into a crack in a rock, freezes and expands to make the crack larger
index contour
every fifth contour line on a topographic map that often has an elevation label
lithosphere
the outermost layer of the earth
magnetic reversals
a change or switch of magnetic poles
mid-ocean range
a string of connected volcanic mountains formed on the ocean floor; formed by magma rising at a divergent boundary
oxidation
certain elements in rocks combine with oxygen in the air or water to form chemical compounds
physical weathering
also called mechanical weathering where rocks are physically broken down into smaller pieces
plate tectonics
states that earth’s surface is made of giant slabs called tectonic plates
relief
the difference between the highest and lowest elevations in a particular area
ridge push
possibly a driving force behind plate tectonics, where oceanic plates slide downhill due to gravity
rifting
the process by which earth’s lithosphere pulls apart to form long narrow, faulted rift valleys
scale
to show the relationship between the sizes and distances shown on a map
sea floor spreading
the process by which new seafloor is created
sediment
weathered rock pieces
shear stress
the stress that causes material to twist or become distorted
slab pull
possibly a driving force behind plate tectonics; where oceanic plates sink into the asthenosphere at subduction zones
slope
measures steepness from one point to another
stress
the amount of force per area put on a body
subduction
the process by which one tectonic plate is pulled beneath another plate
tectonic plate
the large moving pieces of the lithosphere
tectonic setting
description of what two plates are involved and what direction they are pulling
tension
the stress that lengthens material or pulls material apart
theory
a system of ideas that explains many related observations about the natural world
topographic map
shows the shape of earth’s surface with lines that represent different elevations
topography
the shape and size of the land features on earth
transform boundary
a boundary where two tectonic plates move past one another in opposite directions
weathering
the process by which rocks break down into smaller pieces
Note 
Flashcard (50)