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The Big Bang theory

The Big Bang theory

The moment in time when the universe started to expand out of an \n extremely hot, dense state, according to scientific theory

axis of rotation

An imaginary line about which a turning body such as Earth rotates

adaptation

A characteristic, a behavior, or any inherited trait that makes a \n species able to survive and reproduce in a particular environment

atmosphere

The mixture of gases that surrounds the solid Earth

continental Drift

The hypothesis that Earth’s continents move on Earth’s surface

abiotic factor

A nonliving physical or chemical part of an ecosystem

convergent boundary

A boundary along which two tectonic plates push together, \n characterized either by subduction or a continental collision

Continental air masses

Air masses that build over land

Occluded Front

Cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass

Conservation

The process of saving or protecting a natural resource

competition

The struggle between two or more living things that depend on the \n same limited resource

air mass

A large volume of air that has nearly the same temperature and \n humidity at different locations at the same altitude

black hole

The final stage of an extremely massive star, which is invisible because its gravity prevents any form of radiation from escaping

Apparent magnitude

The brightness of a star as seen from Earth

Aquaculture

The science and business of raising and harvesting fish in a controlled \n situation

abiotic factor

A living thing in an ecosystem

Commercial Harvesting

removing organisms from their natural habitat to be used for commercial purposes

Convection currents

A circulation pattern in which material is heated and rises in one \n area, then cools and sinks in another area, flowing in a continuous loop

asthenosphere

The layer in Earth’s upper mantle and directly under the lithosphere \n in which rock is soft and weak because it is close to melting

contour interval

On a topographic map, the difference in elevation from one contour \n line to the next

astronomical unit

Earth’s average distance from the Sun, which is approximately 150 \n million kilometers

carrying capacity

The maximum size that a population can reach in an ecosystem

apparent brightness

The brightness of a star if it were a standard distance from Earth

contour line

A line on a topographic map that joins points of equal elevation

artificial reef

A man made underwater structure; built to promote marine life, to \n control erosion, or block ship passage

food web

A model used to show a feeding relationship in which many food \n chains overlap in an ecosystem

Food chain

A model used to show the feeding relationship between a single \n producer and a chain of consumers in an ecosystem

doldrums

Mostly calm air in a band over the equator

high pressure system

A generally calm and clear weather system that occurs when air \n sinks down and spreads out

fronts

The boundary between air masses

Equinoxes

In an orbit, a position and time in which sunlight shines equally on \n the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere; a time of year \n when daylight and darkness are nearly equal for most of Earth

hurricane

A tropical low-pressure system with sustained winds of 120 \n kilometers per hour (74 mph) or more

divergent boundary

A boundary along which two tectonic plates move apart, \n characterized by either a mid-ocean ridge or a continental rift valley

galaxy

Millions or billions of stars held together in a group by their own \n gravity

Ecosystem

All the living and nonliving things that interact in a particular \n environment

Fusion

A process in which particles of an element collide and combine to \n form a heavier element

Gibbous

More than half but less than fully illuminated

Folded mountains

A mountain that forms as continental crust is compressed and rocks bend into large folds

electromagnetic waves

A type of wave, such as light or radio, that does not require a medium \n to travel; a disturbance that transfers energy through a field

Global Winds

Winds that travel long distance in steady patterns over several weeks

Earthquakes

A shaking of the ground caused by the sudden movement of large \n blocks of rocks along a fault

energy pyramid

A model used to show the amount of energy available to living things \n in an ecosystem

desalination

The process of removing salt from ocean water; used to obtain fresh \n water

deep-ocean trench

A deep valley along the ocean floor through which oceanic crust \n slowly sinks toward the mantle; a convergent plate boundary

depression

An area where the land decreases in elevation

Hertzsprung-Russell diagram

A graph relating the temperature and brightness of stars

Gravitational force

The force that objects exert on each other because of their mass

eclipse​

An event during which one object in space cases a shadow onto \n another

Crescent

Partly, but less than half illuminated

Elevation

A measure of how high something is above a reference point, such \n as sea level

lava

Molten rock that reaches a planet’s surface through a volcano

Light-year

The distance light travels in one year, which is about 9.5 trillion \n kilometers

Local Winds

Winds that blow over short distances

nonpoint-source pollution

Pollution with a source that is hard to find or scattered

moon phase

The appearance of the illuminated portion of the moon as seen by \n an observer on Earth

lunar eclipse

Occurs when the moon passes through the shadow of the Earth

magma

Molten rock beneath Earth’s surface

niche

The role a living thing plays in its habitat

organism

An individual living thing, made up of one or many cells, that is \n capable of growing and reproducing

neutron star

A dense core that may be left behind after a higher-mass star \n explodes in a supernova

Jet streams

A wind that flows in the upper troposphere from west to east over \n vast distances at great speeds

lithosphere

The layer of Earth made up of the crust and the rigid rock of the upper \n mantle

occluded front

When two cold air masses collide and push a warm air mass up \n between them

low pressure system

A large and often stormy weather system that occurs when air moves \n up to higher altitudes

Maritime air masses

Air masses assembled over oceans

Mid-ocean ridges

A long line of sea-floor mountains where new ocean crust is formed \n by volcanic activity along a divergent boundary

nebula

A cloud of gas and dust in space; may form a star

Sea breezes

The breeze caused when the water stays warm and the land has \n cooled

limiting factor

A factor or condition that prevents the continuing growth of a \n population in an ecosystem

isotherm

A line on a weather map connecting places that have the same \n temperature

Neap tide

A tide of small range occurring during the first- and third-quarter \n phases of the moon

omnivore

An organism that eats both producers and consumers

Isobars

A line on a weather map connecting places that have the same air \n pressure

nuclear fusion

The stage in which stars produce energy through the fusion of \n hydrogen into helium

orbit

The elliptical path of an object in space as it moves around another \n object due to gravity

sea breeze

The breeze created when cooler moist air from over the water slides \n beneath the rising air on an ocean beach

Rotation

The motion of an object around its own axis

specific heat

The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram \n of a substance by one degree Celsius

Pangea

A hypothetical supercontinent that included all of the landmasses on \n Earth; it began breaking apart about 200 million years ago

season

In an orbit, a position and time during which one hemisphere gets its \n maximum area of sunlight, while the other hemisphere gets its minimum \n amount; the time of year when days are either longest or shortest, and \n the angle of sunlight reaches its maximum or minimum

solar eclipse

Occurs when the moon goes in front of the Sun and blocks most of \n the Sun’s light from the Earth

herbivore

An organism that eats a producer as its food source

plate boundary

The line where the edges of the plates meet

satellite

An object that orbits a more massive object

Prevailing Westerlies

Cool air, usually moving quickly toward the poles from the west to \n east in both hemispheres

overfishing

Winds that blow more often from one direction than the other

Revolution

The motion of one body around another

Predation

An interaction in which one organism hunts and kills another organism \n for food

Penumbra

A region of lighter shadow that may surround an umbra

point source pollution

Pollution that enters water from a known source

Slope

A measure of how steep a landform is; calculated as the change in \n elevation divided by the distance covered

Climate

One part of a pattern of temperature changes and other weather \n trends over the course of a year; caused by the position of Earth’s axis \n relative to the direction of sunlight

carnivores

An organism that eats a primary consumer as its food

population

A measure of the number of organisms that live in a given area

Overharvesting

Harvesting a renewable resource quicker than the source can renew \n itself; often leads to the destruction of the resource

Prevailing Winds

Cold, fairly weak winds blowing from east to west

Seafloor spreading

The process by which molten material adds new oceanic crust to the \n ocean floor; a divergent plate boundary

rift valley

A deep valley formed as tectonic plates move apart, such as along a \n mid-ocean ridge

Symbiosis

The interaction between individuals from two different species that live \n closely together

transform boundaries

A boundary along which two tectonic plates scrape past each other, \n and crust is neither formed nor destroyed