Earth's Changes Science Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts of Earth's changes, plate tectonics, rock types, energy resources, and geological processes.

Weathering

The breaking down of rock by natural forces such as wind, water, and ice.

Erosion

The movement of rock and sediment from one place to another by wind, water, or ice.

Deposition

Sediment being dropped in a new location.

Plate Tectonics

Earth's crust broken into pieces that shift and move.

Crust

Earth's thinnest layer, made of rock and soil, which includes oceanic crust (heavier, 3-30 miles thick) and continental crust.

Mantle

Earth's thickest layer, 1,800 miles thick, composed of semi-liquid material that moves slowly with convection currents and on which tectonic plates float.

Outer Core

Liquid (molten) layer of the Earth made of iron and nickel that is very hot.

Inner Core

Hottest layer of the Earth, made of iron and nickel, which is solid due to pressure.

Convergent Boundaries

Tectonic boundaries where plates collide and come together, forming volcanoes, mountain ranges, earthquakes, trenches, and islands.

Divergent Boundaries

Tectonic boundaries where plates move (dive apart), forming earthquakes, mid-ocean ridges, sea floor spreading, and rift valleys.

Transform Boundaries

Tectonic boundaries where two plates slide against each other in opposite directions, causing earthquakes.

Pangaea

A supercontinent where continents were once joined together in one big landmass.

Minerals

Particles that make up rocks.

Igneous Rock

Rocks that form when magma or lava cools, such as granite, obsidian, and pumice.

Extrusive Igneous Rocks

Igneous rocks that cool quickly on the surface, resulting in fine-grained texture or a lack of crystal growth.

Intrusive Igneous Rocks

Igneous rocks formed from magma that cools slowly underground, resulting in a coarse-grained texture.

Sedimentary Rock

Rocks formed from sediment being cemented together through pressure over time, such as sandstone, shale, and conglomerate.

Metamorphic Rock

Rocks formed from great amounts of heat and pressure, such as gneiss and slate.

Rock Cycle

The continuous process of rocks transforming from one type to another.

Renewable Resource

Resource of which there is an endless supply because it can be replenished, including biomass energy, hydropower, geothermal power, wind energy, and solar energy.

Nonrenewable Resource

A natural substance that is not replenished at the speed at which it is consumed, such as coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy.

Thermal Energy

Heat energy.

Geothermal Energy

Heat energy within the earth.

Fossil Fuel

An energy source formed in the Earth's crust from decayed organic material, such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas.

Properties

The qualities and characteristics of a substance that describe and identify it.

Classify

To put things into groups that have common characteristics.

Fossils

Remains or traces of past animal and plant life found in rocks.

Geology

The study of Earth's history and life.

Fault

A break or place where pieces of Earth's crust move.

Lava

Liquid molten rock above the Earth's surface.

Magma

Liquid molten rock below the Earth's surface.

Ring of Fire

An active zone around the Pacific Ocean where about 75% of the world's volcanoes are located and a majority of earthquakes occur.

Earthquakes

Shaking of the ground caused by tectonic plates grinding against one another along fault lines.

Richter Scale

A device used to measure the magnitude or intensity of an earthquake, where each level is 10 times stronger than the previous level.

Tsunamis

A series of long destructive waves caused by underwater earthquakes.

Delta

A landform created at the mouth of a river formed by the deposition of sediments and soil.

Sediments

Small and tiny particles of rock made of one or more minerals.

Glacier

A gigantic mass of ice that moves downhill under its own weight.

Landslides

The movement of large masses of earth, soil, and rock down a steep slope.

Dichotomous Key

A scientific tool used to identify organisms or objects by their observable characteristics.