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The Big Bang theory

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123 Terms

1

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

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2

axis of rotation

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

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3

adaptation

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

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4

atmosphere

The mixture of gases that surrounds the solid Earth

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5

continental Drift

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

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6

abiotic factor

A nonliving physical or chemical part of an ecosystem

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7

convergent boundary

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

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8

Continental air masses

Air masses that build over land

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9

Occluded Front

Cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass

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10

Conservation

The process of saving or protecting a natural resource

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11

competition

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

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12

air mass

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

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13

black hole

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

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14

Apparent magnitude

The brightness of a star as seen from Earth

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15

Aquaculture

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

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16

abiotic factor

A living thing in an ecosystem

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17

Commercial Harvesting

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

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18

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

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19

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

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20

contour interval

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

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21

astronomical unit

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

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22

carrying capacity

The maximum size that a population can reach in an ecosystem

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23

apparent brightness

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

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24

contour line

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

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25

artificial reef

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

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26

food web

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

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27

Food chain

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

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28

doldrums

Mostly calm air in a band over the equator

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29

high pressure system

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

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30

fronts

The boundary between air masses

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31

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

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32

hurricane

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

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33

divergent boundary

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

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34

galaxy

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

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35

Ecosystem

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

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36

Fusion

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

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37

Gibbous

More than half but less than fully illuminated

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38

Folded mountains

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

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39

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

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40

Global Winds

Winds that travel long distance in steady patterns over several weeks

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41

Earthquakes

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

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42

energy pyramid

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

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43

desalination

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

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44

deep-ocean trench

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

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45

depression

An area where the land decreases in elevation

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46

Hertzsprung-Russell diagram

A graph relating the temperature and brightness of stars

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47

Gravitational force

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

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48

eclipse​

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

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49

Crescent

Partly, but less than half illuminated

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50

Elevation

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

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51

lava

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

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52

Light-year

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

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53

Local Winds

Winds that blow over short distances

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54

nonpoint-source pollution

Pollution with a source that is hard to find or scattered

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55

moon phase

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

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56

lunar eclipse

Occurs when the moon passes through the shadow of the Earth

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57

magma

Molten rock beneath Earth’s surface

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58

niche

The role a living thing plays in its habitat

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59

organism

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

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60

neutron star

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

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61

Jet streams

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

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62

lithosphere

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

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63

occluded front

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

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64

low pressure system

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

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65

Maritime air masses

Air masses assembled over oceans

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66

Mid-ocean ridges

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

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67

nebula

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

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68

Sea breezes

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

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69

limiting factor

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

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70

isotherm

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

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71

Neap tide

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

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72

omnivore

An organism that eats both producers and consumers

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73

Isobars

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

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74

nuclear fusion

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

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75

orbit

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

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76

sea breeze

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

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77

Rotation

The motion of an object around its own axis

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78

specific heat

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

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79

Pangea

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

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80

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

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81

solar eclipse

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

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82

herbivore

An organism that eats a producer as its food source

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83

plate boundary

The line where the edges of the plates meet

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84

satellite

An object that orbits a more massive object

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85

Prevailing Westerlies

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

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86

overfishing

Winds that blow more often from one direction than the other

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87

Revolution

The motion of one body around another

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88

Predation

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

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89

Penumbra

A region of lighter shadow that may surround an umbra

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90

point source pollution

Pollution that enters water from a known source

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91

Slope

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

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92

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

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93

carnivores

An organism that eats a primary consumer as its food

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94

population

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

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95

Overharvesting

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

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96

Prevailing Winds

Cold, fairly weak winds blowing from east to west

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97

Seafloor spreading

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

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98

rift valley

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

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99

Symbiosis

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

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100

transform boundaries

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

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