Earth Science and Astronomy

Solar Wind

A stream of high-energy particles sent into space, which causes light displays

Aurora Borealis

Solar winds in the northern hemisphere

Aurora Australis

Solar winds in the southern hemisphere

Prominences

Storms that look like huge arches extending towards the sun's surface that could last for several days

Solar Flares

More intense than prominences and last for only about 15 minutes

Sunspots

Dark, cooler parts of the Sun's surface that are caused by changes in the sun's magnetic field

Sun

A ball of hot plasma that serves as the source of heat and light; it holds 99.8% of the mass of the solar system

Mercury

The smallest planet, closest to sun

Venus

The hottest planet in our solar system

Earth

The only known planet that supports life, found within the "Goldilocks zone"

Mars

The red planet, caused by the abundance of iron oxide

Jupiter

The largest planet in the solar system, mainly composed of hydrogen and helium

Saturn

Another gas giant more known for its ring system

Uranus

The coldest planet in the solar system, colored blue by methane ice

Neptune

The farthest planet from the sun; the only planet not visible to the naked eye

Pluto

A dwarf planet

Earth's Moon

Earth's only natural satellite; brightest object in the night sky

Asteroids

Rocky metallic objects that orbit the sun but are too small to be considered planets

Meteoroid

A relatively small, rocky body that travels through space

Meteor

Meteoroids entering the Earth's atmosphere, burning up at high speeds

Meteorite

A meteor that has survived its passage through the Earth's atmosphere

Polaris

The North Star; tip of Little Dipper's handle

Sirius

The brightest star in the night sky; "Dog Star"

Ursa Major

Big Bear; contains the Big Dipper

Ursa Minor

Little Bear; contains the Litter Dipper

Canis Major

Big Dog; contains Sirius

Canis Minor

Little Dog

Orion

The Hunter

Tres Marias

Form Orion's Belt

Proxima Centauri

Other than the sun; is the closest star to Earth, but is too small to be seen in the night sky

Alpha Centauri

Other than the sun; is the closest star to Earth, that is visible in the night sky

Pegasus

The Winged Horse

Light Year

The distance light travels in one year

Milky Way

A large spiral galaxy that is home to Earth and the rest of our solar system

Supernova

The explosion of a big star

Black Hole

Areas in space with a very strong gravitational field that even light cannot escape

Moon Phases

The changing appearances of the Moon as seen from Earth

Spring Tides

Tides that have the greatest tidal range due to the alignment of the sun, earth, and moon

Neap Tides

Moderate tides caused by the position of the sun, earth, and moon forming a right angle

Crust

The thin and solid outermost layer of the Earth above the mantle

Mantle

The layer of hot, solid material between Earth's crust and core; generally composed of aluminium and silicates

Core

The central part of the earth below the mantle, mainly composed of iron and nickel

Lithosphere

A rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust

Asthenosphere

The plastic layer of the earth where the mantle flows easily

Mesosphere

Includes the lower mantle, where the mantle flows slower than the asthenosphere

Outer Core

A layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of Earth

Inner Core

A dense sphere of solid iron and nickel at the center of Earth

Transform Plate Boundary

Plate boundary where two plates slide past each other horizontally

Divergent Plate Boundary

Plate boundary where plates move away from one another

Convergent Plate Boundary

Plate boundary where two plates move towards each other

Continental-Continental

Occurs between two continental plates where their collision results in little to no subduction

Oceanic-Continental

Occurs between an oceanic plate and continental plate; the oceanic plate subducts beneath the less dense continental plate

Oceanic-Oceanic

Occurs between two oceanic plates; the older (and cooler) plate subducts beneath the younger one

Earthquakes

Sudden movements of Earth's crust followed by a series of shocks

Magnitude

Measure of the energy released during an earthquake

Focus

The point beneath Earth's surface that causes an earthquake

Epicenter

Point on Earth's surface directly above an earthquake's focus

P Waves

Seismic waves that can travel within the Earth's surface and can pass through all kinds of medium

S Waves

A type of seismic wave that moves the ground side to side

Love Waves

Surface waves moving parallel to the Earth's surface; perpendicular to the wave propagation direction

Rayleigh Waves

Surface waves that travel in a rolling, elliptical motion

Igneous Rocks

Rocks that are formed by the cooling and solidification of magma or lava

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous or sedimentary rocks that are subjected to head and pressure are metamorphosed, forming metamorphic rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks formed by the accumulation of deposits or rock fragments, minerals, and/or fossils

Rock

A naturally occurring aggregate of one or more minerals

Weathering

The breaking down of rocks into smaller pieces

Erosion

The transport of sediment from one place to another

Deposition

The process in which sediment settles down in new locations

Fossils

Preserved remains of plants and animals found in rock, soil, or amber

Paleontology

The study of ancient prehistoric life through fossils

Trace Fossils

Preserved evidences of movement and activity of an organism that lived in the past such as tracks and burrows

Continental Drift Theory

The idea that continents slowly shift their positions due to movement of the tectonic plates on which they ride

Pangea

A supercontinent containing all of Earth's land that existed about 225 million years ago

Laurasia

Supercontinent that contained North America, Europe, Asia

Gondwanaland

Supercontinent that contained Africa, South America, India, Australia, and Antarctica

Paleomagnetism

The study of changes in Earth's magnetic field, as shown by patterns of magnetism in rocks that have formed over time

Hotspot

Focused locale where hot plumes rise and melt the crust

Exosphere

The outermost layer of the Earth's atmosphere; where artificial satellites orbit

Thermosphere

Layer of the atmosphere with high temperatures; where auroras occur

Mesosphere

The coldest part of the atmosphere; where meteors start to be visible

Stratosphere

Layer of the atmosphere that contains the ozone layer, also where most commercial aircraft fly

Troposphere

Layer of the atmosphere that coincides with the surface of the Earth; it contains most of the air and water vapor

Barometer

Weather instrument that measures air pressure

Anemometer

Weather instrument that measures wind speed

Hygrometer

Weather instrument that measures the humidity or amount of water vapor in the air

Wind Vane

Weather instrument that determines wind direction

Rain Gauge

Weather instrument that measures the amount of liquid precipitation

Infiltration

The seepage of water precipitation into the ground

Salinity

A measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid

Sea Breeze

Occurs during the day when the warmer air over the land rises and is replaced by the cooler air over the ocean water; wind blows from sea to land

Land Breeze

Occurs at night when cooler air over land flows toward warmer air over the ocean

Thunderstorms

A storm that produces lightning and thunder and often heavy rains and strong winds

Tropical Depression

A low-pressure weather system with organized thunderstorms and maximum sustained winds of less than 55kph

Tropical Storm

A rotating low-pressure system with organized thunderstorms and maximum sustained winds between 63 to 117kph

Typhoon

A powerful tropical cyclone that forms over warm ocean waters in the Northwest Pacific, with maximum sustained winds of at least 118 to 184kph

Cyclone

A large-scale, rotating system of strong winds and thunderstorms around a low-pressure center, typically forming over the South Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean

Tornado

A rapid and violent rotating funnel-shaped column of air in contact with the ground and a thunderstorm

Seasons

Caused by the tilt of the Earth on its axis as it revolves around the Sun

March Equinox

The start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere; autumn in the Southern Hemisphere

June Solstice

The beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere; winter in the Southern Hemisphere