Geography-Physical Geography

Core

A solid iron core at the center of the Earth.

Mantle/Asthenosphere

- tough liquid rock that exhibits convection currents.

Crust/Lithosphere

- the Earth's surface where we live, floating on the mantle, divided into Oceanic and Continental crust.

Continental Drift

The continuous movement of land masses.

Pangaea

The supercontinent that existed 300 million years ago.

Plate Tectonics

The theory that the Earth's crust is divided into tectonic plates that move due to convection currents.

Convection Currents

Movement in the mantle that drives the motion of tectonic plates.

Climate Graphs

Graphs summarizing climate data for specific locations.

Transform Faulting

The sliding or friction between different tectonic plates.

Subduction

The process where one tectonic plate moves under another.

Folding

The process of bending and deforming rocks due to tectonic forces.

Igneous Rock

Rock formed from cooled and hardened magma or lava.

Sedimentary Rock

Rock formed from the accumulation and compression of eroded sediments.

Metamorphic Rock

Rock formed from the alteration of existing rocks due to heat and pressure.

Continental Glacier

A large glacier covering vast land areas.

Alpine Glacier

A glacier found in mountainous regions, shaping "U" shaped valleys.

Weathering

The breakdown of rocks into smaller particles.

Chemical Weathering

The process where rocks break down due to chemical reactions.

Mechanical Weathering

The physical breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces.

Erosion

The process of wearing away the Earth's surface and moving rock material to other locations.