the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake
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focus
The point beneath Earth's surface where rock breaks under stress and causes an earthquake
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magnitude
Measure of the energy released during an earthquake
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divergent plates
plate boundary where two plates separate, causes mid-ocean ridge
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convergent plates
Plates moving together. One descends below the other.
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transform plates
Plates that are moving past each other (rubbing next to each other) in opposite directions
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subduction
One plate going under another plate
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lithosphere
the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.
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hydrosphere
all the waters on the earth's surface, such as lakes and seas, and sometimes including water over the earth's surface, such as clouds.
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asthenosphere
the upper layer of the earth's mantle, below the lithosphere, in which there is relatively low resistance to plastic flow and convection is thought to occur.
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relative dating
any method of determining whether an event or object is older or younger than other events or objects
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convection
The transfer of thermal energy by the circulation or movement of a liquid or gas
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conduction
Form of heat transfer where heat energy is directly transferred between molecules through molecular collisions or direct contact.
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air pressure
The measure of the force with which air molecules push on a surface
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air temperature
a measure of how hot or cold the air is
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humidity
a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air
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weather
the state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.
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climate
The average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time
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pressure gradient
a physical quantity that describes which direction and at what rate the pressure changes the most rapidly around a particular location.
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ENSO
El Niño Southern Oscillation, see-sawing of air pressure over the S. Pacific
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coriolis effect
The effect of Earth's rotation on the direction of winds and currents.
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hadley cells
convection cells north and south of the equator
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ferrel cells
convection cells in the middle of the hemisphere; in between hadley cells and polar cells
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polar cells
convection cells are the north and south pole
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rainshadow effect
A location of little rain on the leeward side of a mountain range due to descending air
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troposphere
The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere; temp decreases with altitude increase
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stratosphere
2nd layer of atmosphere; extends from 10 to 30 miles up; location of ozone layer; absorbs 95% of Ultraviolet radiation; temperature increases with altitude increase.
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ozone layer
Layer of the stratosphere with a high concentration of ozone; absorbs most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation
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exosphere
The outer layer of the thermosphere, extending outward into space.
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mesosphere
The layer of Earth's atmosphere immediately above the stratosphere
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thermosphere
The uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature increases as altitude increases
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hot spots
areas of volcanic activities that result from plumes of hot solid material that have risen from deep inside earths mantle
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