Earth Science Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering Earth materials, plate tectonics, earth processes, astronomy, hydrology, scientific methodology, map skills, earth history, and natural resources based on the Earth Science study guide.

Mineral

A naturally occurring, solid substance that is not made from living things.

Hardness

A mineral property describing how easy it is to scratch.

Luster

A mineral property describing how it reflects light (shiny or dull).

Streak

The color of the powder a mineral leaves behind.

Igneous Rocks

Rocks formed when molten rock (magma or lava) cools and hardens.

Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks formed from pieces of other rocks or organic matter squeezed together, where most fossils are found.

Metamorphic Rocks

Rocks formed when any rock is changed by intense heat and pressure.

Foliated Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic rocks that have visible bands or stripes.

Lithosphere

The Earth's outer layer, which is broken into giant pieces called tectonic plates.

Tectonic Plates

Giant pieces of the Earth's lithosphere that move because of convection in the mantle.

Convection

The process of heat rising and falling in the mantle that drives tectonic plate movement.

Convergent Boundary

A plate boundary where plates collide like bumper cars, resulting in mountains, volcanoes, and trenches.

Divergent Boundary

A plate boundary where plates move away from each other, resulting in mid-ocean ridges and rift valleys.

Transform Boundary

A plate boundary where plates slide past each other, resulting in faults like the San Andreas Fault.

Weathering

The process by which rocks break down.

Mechanical Weathering

The physical breaking of rocks into smaller pieces, such as ice cracking a sidewalk.

Chemical Weathering

Weathering that changes what the rock is made of, such as rust forming on a bike.

Soil

A mixture of weathered rock and humus that forms in layers called horizons.

Humus

Decayed organic material found in soil.

Upwellings

Ocean movements that bring cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface.

Tides

The daily rise and fall of ocean water caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun.

Big Bang Theory

The scientific theory that the universe began as a hot, dense sphere that expanded.

Nuclear Fusion

The core process by which the Sun produces energy.

Galaxies

Huge collections of billions of stars, such as the Milky Way.

Aquifer

An underground zone where water is stored.

Permeability

A property measuring how easily water flows through a material.

Water Table

The top boundary of the underground zone of saturation where all spaces are filled with water.

Hypothesis

An educated guess or tentative explanation that can be tested.

Density

How much matter is packed into a given space, calculated using the formula $\text{Density} = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}}$.

Latitude

Map lines that run side-to-side and measure distances North and South of the Equator.

Longitude

Map lines that meet at the poles and measure distances East and West of the Prime Meridian.

Topographic Maps

Maps that depict the shape of the land using contour lines.

Relative Dating

The process of ordering geological events in sequence without specifying exact years.

Law of Superposition

The principle stating that in an undisturbed stack of rock layers, the oldest layer is at the bottom.

Absolute Dating

Determining the exact age of rocks or fossils in years using radioactive decay.

Precambrian Era

The longest division of Earth's history, during which early life like blue-green algae began generating atmospheric oxygen.

Paleozoic Era

The 'Age of Invertebrates,' during which the supercontinent Pangaea formed.

Mesozoic Era

The 'Age of Reptiles' (dinosaurs), during which Pangaea broke apart.

Cenozoic Era

The 'Age of Mammals,' representing the present geological era.

Renewable Resources

Natural resources that can be replaced by nature quickly, such as sunlight, water, and wind.

Non-renewable Resources

Natural resources that cannot be replaced easily once used, such as coal, oil, and minerals.

Watershed

An area of land where all water drains into the same destination.

Estuary

A body of water where fresh water and salt water mix, such as the Chesapeake Bay.