LECTURE 07

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary terms and concepts related to the Earth's interior and geological processes, as discussed in Lecture 7.

Magnetosphere

The region around the Earth influenced by its magnetic field.

Atmosphere

The layer of gases surrounding Earth, where greenhouse gases are found.

Hydrosphere

The water layer of Earth, including oceans, rivers, and lakes.

Crust

The outermost layer of the Earth, the land we walk on.

Mantle

The layer of Earth between the crust and the outer core.

Outer Core

The fluid layer of Earth's interior located beneath the mantle.

Inner Core

The solid innermost layer of the Earth.

Xenoliths

Foreign rocks brought to the surface by volcanic activity.

Seismic Waves

Waves of energy caused by the sudden breaking of rock within the Earth.

P waves (Primary Waves)

Fast seismic waves that can travel through solids and liquids.

S waves (Secondary Waves)

Slower seismic waves that cannot travel through fluids.

Mohorovicic Discontinuity

The boundary between the Earth's crust and the underlying mantle.

Asthenosphere

The layer of the mantle that allows for the movement of tectonic plates.

Divergent Boundaries

Tectonic plate boundaries that move away from each other.

Transform Boundaries

Tectonic boundaries where plates slide past one another horizontally.

Convergent Boundaries

Tectonic boundaries where plates collide, often causing one plate to subduct.

Mantle Convection

The process by which heat from the Earth's interior moves rock in a rolling motion.

Mantle Plumes

Hot vertical columns of material that rise through the mantle.

Rock Cycle

The continuous process by which rocks are formed, broken down, and reformed.