Earth Science Exam Review
seismic waves
Vibrations that travel through Earth carrying the energy released during an earthquake.
crust
the outer layer of the Earth
mantle
the layer of hot, solid material between Earth's crust and core
lithosphere
the solid, outer layer of the earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the
mantle
asthenosphere
the soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats
basalt
a rock that makes up much of the ocean floor
granite
a usually light-colored rock that is found in continental crust
outer core
a layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of Earth
inner core
a dense sphere of solid iron and nickel at the center of Earth
radiation
the transfer of energy through space
conduction
the direct transfer of heat from one substance to another substance that it is touching
convection
the transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid
density
the amount of matter in a given space
convection current
the movement of a fluid, caused by differences in temperature, that transfers heat from
one part of the fluid to another
continental drift
the hypothesis that states that the continents once formed a single landmass, broke up,
and drifted to their present locations
Pangaea
large, ancient landmass that was composed of all the continents joined together
fossil
the remains (or an impression) of a plant or animal that existed in a past geological age
and that has been excavated from the soil
mid-ocean ridge
An underwater moutain chain where new ocean floor is formed
sonar
a device that determines the distance of an object under water by recording echoes of
sound waves
, sea-floor spreading
the process by which molten material adds new oceanic crust to the ocean floor
deep-ocean trench
a deep valley along the ocean floor beneath which oceanic crust slowly sinks toward the
mantle
subduction
the process by which oceanic crust sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench and back into
the mantle at a convergent plate boundary
plate
a section of the lithosphere that slowly moves over the asthenosphere, carrying pieces
of continental and oceanic crust
plate tectonics
the theory that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection
currents in the mantle
fault
a crack in the earth's crust
divergent plate boundary
a boundary where plates are spreading apart
rift valley
a deep valley that forms where two plates move apart
convergent boundary
a plate boundary where two plates move tward each other
transform boundary
boundary where two plates slide past each other
stress
a force that acts on rock to change its shape or volume
tension
stress that stretches rock so that it becomes thinner in the middle
compression
the type of stress that occurs when an object is squeezed
shearing
stress that pushes a mass of rock in opposite directions
normal fault
a type of fault where the hanging wall slides downward; caused by tension in the crust
reverse fault
a type of fault where the hanging wall slides upward; caused by compression in the
crust
hanging wall
The block of rock that forms the upper half of a fault.
footwall
the block of rock that forms the lower half of a fault
strike-slip fault
a type of fault where rocks on either side move past each other sideways with little up or
down motion
anticline
an upward fold in rock formed by compression of Earth's crust
seismic waves
Vibrations that travel through Earth carrying the energy released during an earthquake.
crust
the outer layer of the Earth
mantle
the layer of hot, solid material between Earth's crust and core
lithosphere
the solid, outer layer of the earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the
mantle
asthenosphere
the soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats
basalt
a rock that makes up much of the ocean floor
granite
a usually light-colored rock that is found in continental crust
outer core
a layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of Earth
inner core
a dense sphere of solid iron and nickel at the center of Earth
radiation
the transfer of energy through space
conduction
the direct transfer of heat from one substance to another substance that it is touching
convection
the transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid
density
the amount of matter in a given space
convection current
the movement of a fluid, caused by differences in temperature, that transfers heat from
one part of the fluid to another
continental drift
the hypothesis that states that the continents once formed a single landmass, broke up,
and drifted to their present locations
Pangaea
large, ancient landmass that was composed of all the continents joined together
fossil
the remains (or an impression) of a plant or animal that existed in a past geological age
and that has been excavated from the soil
mid-ocean ridge
An underwater moutain chain where new ocean floor is formed
sonar
a device that determines the distance of an object under water by recording echoes of
sound waves
, sea-floor spreading
the process by which molten material adds new oceanic crust to the ocean floor
deep-ocean trench
a deep valley along the ocean floor beneath which oceanic crust slowly sinks toward the
mantle
subduction
the process by which oceanic crust sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench and back into
the mantle at a convergent plate boundary
plate
a section of the lithosphere that slowly moves over the asthenosphere, carrying pieces
of continental and oceanic crust
plate tectonics
the theory that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection
currents in the mantle
fault
a crack in the earth's crust
divergent plate boundary
a boundary where plates are spreading apart
rift valley
a deep valley that forms where two plates move apart
convergent boundary
a plate boundary where two plates move tward each other
transform boundary
boundary where two plates slide past each other
stress
a force that acts on rock to change its shape or volume
tension
stress that stretches rock so that it becomes thinner in the middle
compression
the type of stress that occurs when an object is squeezed
shearing
stress that pushes a mass of rock in opposite directions
normal fault
a type of fault where the hanging wall slides downward; caused by tension in the crust
reverse fault
a type of fault where the hanging wall slides upward; caused by compression in the
crust
hanging wall
The block of rock that forms the upper half of a fault.
footwall
the block of rock that forms the lower half of a fault
strike-slip fault
a type of fault where rocks on either side move past each other sideways with little up or
down motion
anticline
an upward fold in rock formed by compression of Earth's crust
