Studied by 11 people
Plates slip past each other
Transform boundary
A possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to a scientific question; must be testable
Hypothesis
The factor that differs between your experimental and control groups. It is what YOU manipulate
Independent Variable
The factor that you measure. These measurements DEPEND on the independent variable. Any data that you take is your dependent variable.
Dependent Variable
The group that is tested on so that you can look back and compare other tests to
Control
Any aspect of your experiment and control groups
Constants
Purpose; define the problem
1st step of the scientific method
Research
2nd step of the scientific method
Hypothesis
3rd step of the scientific method
Experiment
4th step of the scientific method
Analysis
5th step of the scientific method
Conclusion
6th step of the scientific method
The experiment must be repeated several times; The sample size must be large; The sample group must be chosen at random; The data collected should be a measurable concept; Make sure there is only 1 independent variable; The experiment must have a control for comparison
What makes an experiment valid
on the x axis
Where does an independent variable get graphed
on the y axis
Where does a dependent variable get graphed
A supercontinent that was formed 300 million years ago
Pangea
Any trace of an ancient organism that has been preserved in rock
Fossil
A section of the lithosphere that slowly moves over the asthenosphere, carrying pieces of continental and oceanic crust
Plate
Breaks in Earth's crust where rocks have slipped past each other; earthquakes form along these
Fault
A system that uses reflected sound waves to locate and determine the distance to objects underwater
Sonar
When mid ocean ridges continually add new material to the ocean floor which results in more crust being added to the ocean floor while at the same time older stripes of rock move outward from either side of the ridge
Sea floor spreading
The process by which the ocean floor sinks beneath a deep ocean trench and back into the mantle again
Subduction
work together to move the ocean floor; controls the size of the Earth's oceans based on how fast crust is being created and swallowed
Sea floor spreading and subduction
where crust is created in sea floor spreading
Mid ocean ridges
consumes crust in subduction
Deep ocean trench
Wegner's idea that continents slowly move over Earth's surface
Continental drift
Plates move apart, or diverge, from each other
Divergent boundary
Plates com together or converge
Convergent boundary
Rift valleys
Divergent boundary (example)
Andes Mountains
Convergent boundary(example)
San Andreas
Transform boundary(example)
identical strips on the sea floor
Magnetic striping
force that acts on a rock to change its shape or volume
Stress
the stress force that pulls on the crust and thin rock in the middle
Tension
the stress force that squeezes rock until it fields or breaks
Compression
stress that pushes a mass of rock in two opposite directions
Shearing
the shaking and trembling that resuts from the movement of rock beneath the Earth's surface
Earthquakes
the point on the surface directly above the focus
Epicenter
the area beneath Earth's surface where rock that was under stress begins to break or move
Focus
as instrument that records and measures an earthquake's seismic waves
Seismograph
seismic waves compress and expand the ground like an accordion. First waves to arrive; primary. Can travel through solids and liquids
P waves
seismic waves can vibrate from side to side or up and down. Their vibrations are at a right angle to the directionthey travel. When they reach the surface they shake structures violently. Cannot pass through liquids. Secondary
S waves
Waves that move slower than primary and seconary waves. They produce severe ground movement. They produce movement that is similar to waves in water, where the water's articles move in a pattern that is almost cirular. They can make the ground roll like ocean waves or shake building from side to side
Surface wave
Forces of plate movement (a release of stress) causes the rock to break, resukting in the shaking of Earth's surface
Causes of an earthquake
Pulling in opposite directions; thins rock in the crust
Tension
pushing together; froces that squeeze rock until it folds or breaks
Compression
Pushing in opposite directions; cuases rock to slip apart or change shape
Shearing
faults
Where earthquakes occur
compress and expand the ground like an accordion ( travel through solids and liquids)
How do seismic waves move; P waves
vibrate side to side or up and down; only travel through solids and shake structures violently
How do seismic waves move; S waves
move almost like a water wave (circular); these waves form when S and P waves reach the surface
How do seismic waves move; Surface Waves
Based solely on human observation
Modified Mercalli Scale
Rate earthquakes based on the size of waves
Rickter Scale
rate earthquakes based on the amount of energy released
Moment Magnitude Scale
Rio Grande River
Normal fault (example)
Northern Rocky Mountains
Reverse fault (example)
San Andreas
Strike Slip fault (example)
a fold in the rock that bends upward into an arch
Anticline
a fold in the rock that bends down to form a V shape
Syncline
the process that breaks down rock and other substances
Erosion
refers to the wearing away of rock by rock particles carried by water, ice, wind, or gravity
Abrasion
This means a material is full of tiny connected air spaces that allow water to seep through it
Permeable
the loose weathering material on Earth's surface in which plants can grow
Soil
the solid layer of rock beneath the soil
Bedrock
a dark-colored substance that forms as plant and animal remains decay
Humus
Soil that is made up of about equal parts of clay, sand, and silt. The best soil for growing most plant
Loam
iron combines with oxygen in the presence of water
Oxidation
heat, cold, water, ice, and gases
Factors that affect the rate of weathering
when a rock is physically broken down into smaller pieces
Mechanical weathering
when rocks and minerals undergo changes in their chemical makeup
Chemical weathering
animal actions, freezing and thawing, plant growth, release of pressure, abrasion
Agents of mechanical weathering
water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, living organisms, acid rain
Agents of chemical weathering
compositions, fertility, texture, pH
characteristics of soil
forms as bedrock begins to weather. The rock breaks up into small particles
C Horizon
top; forms as plants add organic materials
A Horizon
forms as rainwater washes these materials down from the A horizon
B Horizon
carbon dioxide
Weathers away marble and limestone
the process by which natural forces move weathered rock and soil from one place to another
Erosion
what occurs where the agents of erosion deposit, or lay down, sediment. It changes the shape of the land
Deposition
the material erosion moves; may consist of pieces of rock or soil or remains of plants and animals
Sediment
the moving water carries particles with it
Runoff
water, glacial, wind, and wave
Types of erosion
waterfalls, flood plains, meanders, oxbow lakes,
Landforms due to water erosion
Alluvial fans, delts
Landforms due to water deposition
Horn, cirque, U-shaped valley, arete
Landforms due to glacial erosion
Fiord, glacial lake, Morain, drumlin, kettle
Landforms due to glacial deposition
vegetation, amount of rain, type of soil, the shape of the land, land's use
Contributions to runoff
flood plains, meanders, oxbow lakes
Landforms due to water erosion
wave-cut cliffs, headlands, sea caves, sea arches, sea stacks
Landforms due to waves erosion
a region in which a layer of limestone close to the surface creates deep valleys, caverns, and sinkholes
Karst topography
gullies
rills form...
streams
gullies form...
rivers
streams form...
carried through the air
movement of fine particles
skip or bounce
movement of medium particles
slide or roll
movement of large particles
a record of the geologic event and evolution of life forms as shown in the fossil record
Geologic time scale
three long units of time geologists use to divide the time between Precambrian times and the present
Era
the subdivisions of geologic time for eras
Period
the long span of time that began geologic time. It covers 88% of Earth's history and ended 542 myo. Few fossils survived from this time period
Precambrian time
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