Earth Systems, Scientific Models, and Geologic Processes

Vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture notes covering Earth's spheres, scientific modeling concepts, geologic channel formation, and constructive versus destructive forces.

System

A group of parts that work together as a whole.

Biosphere

Parts of the Earth that contain all living organisms.

Hydrosphere

All of Earth's water, including water that cycles through Earth's atmosphere.

Cryosphere

The frozen component of the hydrosphere.

Atmosphere

The layer of gases that surround a planet.

Geosphere

Parts of the Earth that contain rocky material or metals.

Habitable

The ability of an environment to support life, which requires a planet to have a source of liquid water and a sustainable atmosphere.

Scientific or Investigative Question

What concept you want to learn or study in more detail, which serves as the starting point for a model.

Scale (in Science)

Understanding the size of something by maintaining exact dimensions, such as using 1 pixel to represent $3474.5\,\text{km}$.

Model

A representation of an idea, an object, a process, or a system used to explain or predict, which can take the form of an object, diagram, or digital simulation.

Scale (in Models)

The precise relationship between the model's dimensions and the actual dimensions of the object or system it represents.

Quantity

An absolute number representing the same amount.

Pros of Models

They help scientists test ideas about the natural world that are difficult to observe, answer questions, and provide evidence.

Cons of Models

They do not have the ability to capture every aspect of the real object or system.

Geologic Processes

Natural actions that shape Earth's surface, such as earthquakes, river flow, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.

Channels

A path from moving lava or water consisting of two banks and a bed running through the middle, which becomes wider and deeper over time.

River

A large, flowing stream of water that moves from high ground to lower layers.

Oxbow Lakes

V-shaped or horseshoe-shaped lakes that form when a meander gets cut off from the main river.

Lava Channels

Channels formed as lava moves slowly and the sides of the flow dry and harden to create the shape of the channel.

Constructive Forces

Natural forces that build up landforms and add to Earth's surface.

Destructive Forces

Natural processes that wear away or break down Earth's surface.

Constructive River Channel Processes

River processes where inner banks move slowly and drop sediment.

Destructive River Channel Processes

River processes where outer banks move quickly to create S-shaped curves.

Constructive Lava Channel Processes

Lava channel processes that add rock to outer banks as the channel cools.

Destructive Lava Channel Processes

Lava channel processes where lava carves the inside of the channel with molten rock.