Studied by 169 people
constructive force
any natural process that builds up Earth's surface
destructive forces
Any natural process that tears down or wears away Earth's surface.
lithosphere
the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.
asthenosphere
The soft layer of the mantle on which the tectonic plates move
crust
Earth's outermost layer.
mantle
the layer of the earth between the crust and the core
core
The central part of the earth below the mantle
magnetic field
a region around a magnetic material or a moving electric charge within which the force of magnetism acts
plate tectonics
The theory that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle
landforms
features that make up the earth's surface such as a plain, mountain, or valley
earthquake
the shaking that results from the movement of rock beneath Earth's surface
volcano
a vent or fissure in the Earth's surface through which magma and gases are expelled
magma
molten rock beneath the earth's surface
lava
liquid magma that reaches the surface
oceanic crust
earths crust located under the ocean
continental crust
The portion of the earth's crust that primarily contains granite, is less dense than oceanic crust, and is 20-50 km thick
surface waves
seismic waves that travel along the Earth's surface
primary waves
waves that travel outward from an Earthquake's focus and cause particles in rocks to move back and forth in the same direction the wave is moving
secondary waves
waves that travel outward from an earthquake's focus and move through Earth by causing particles in rocks to vibrate at right angles to the direction of the wave
seismic
relating to or caused by an earthquake
mid-ocean ridge
An undersea mountain chain where new ocean floor is produced; a divergent plate boundary.
seafloor spreading
The process that creates new sea floor as plates move away from each other at the mid-ocean ridges
plate boundaries
the edges of tectonic plates
continental drift
the hypothesis that the continents slowly move across Earth's surface
divergent
going in different directions
convergent
coming together
transform boundary
a plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions
subduction
one plate going under another plate
crystallization
The process by which atoms are arranged to form a material with a crystal structure
decay
to break down or wear away
weathering
The breaking down of rocks and other materials on the Earth's surface.
clay
the finest soil, made up of particles that are less than 0.002 mm in diameter.
loam
A mixture of gravel, sand, silt, clay, and organic matter
humus
material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter
sand
the coarsest soil, with particles 0.05,2.0 mm in diameter.
silt
A mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks
mineral
a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition
sedimentary
A type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together
igneous
a type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or below the surface
metamorphic
A type of rock that forms from an existing rock that is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions.
pedosphere
The outermost layer of the Earth that is composed of soil.
vegetative cover
grasses, trees, shrubs, and any other plants that help to hold the soil in place
agriculture
farming
contour plowing
plowing fields along the curves of a slope to prevent soil loss
conservation plowing
farmers disturb the soil and its plant cover as little as possible
crop rotation
The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil.
vector
carrier (of disease, for example)
remote sensing
The acquisition of data about Earth's surface from a satellite orbiting the planet or other long-distance methods.
erosion
Processes by which rock, sand, and soil are broken down and carried away (i.e. weathering, glaciation)
stewardship
Looking after something so it can be passed on to the next generation
