Geology, Rock Cycle, and Earth's Structures

Vocabulary flashcards covering rock types, the rock cycle, fossils, surface processes, Earth's layers, plate boundaries, and thermal energy.

Igneous Rocks

Rocks formed when lava or magma cools and hardens.

Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks formed when sediments are cemented together.

Metamorphic Rocks

Rocks formed by heat and pressure.

Rock Cycle

A process that shows how rocks can change over time.

Fossils

The remains or traces of plants and animals that lived long ago.

Weathering

The breaking down and changing of rocks and minerals due to natural processes.

Erosion

The process of soil, rocks, and other sediments being carried away or moved by natural forces such as wind, water, and ice.

Deposition

When bits of soil, rocks, and other sediments settle in a new place.

Crust

The thin, outermost layer of the Earth composed of solid rock.

Mantle

The largest layer that is between the crust and the outer core, made of hot, semi-solid rock.

Outer Core

The liquid layer surrounding the inner core.

Inner Core

A solid sphere at the center of the Earth made of materials such as iron and nickel.

Divergent Boundary

A boundary where tectonic plates move apart from each other, resulting in volcanoes.

Convergent Boundary

A boundary where tectonic plates move toward each other, resulting in mountains.

Transform Boundary

A boundary where tectonic plates slide past each other, resulting in earthquakes.

Thermal Energy

Energy within the Earth that creates currents in the mantle that move Earth's tectonic plates, which can result in earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain formation.