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Ms. Linda Taylor Barnett |
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Earth Science Vocabulary |
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Absolute age: the age of a rock given as the number of years since the rock formed Absolute magnitude: the brightness of a star if it were a standard distance from Earth Acid Rain: rain that is more acidic than normal, caused by the release of molecules of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide into the air Air Mass: a huge body of air that has similar temperature, pressure, and humidity Alloy: a solid mixture of two or more metals Aquifer: an underground layer of rock or soil that holds water Artesian Well: a well in which water rises because of pressure within the well Asteroids: objects revolving around the sun that are too small and too numerous to be considered planets Astronomy: the study of the moon, stars, and other objects in space Atmosphere: the mixture of gases that surrounds Earth the outermost of the four spheres into which scientists divide Earth Atom: the smallest unit of an element that retains the properties of that element Axis: an imaginary line that passes through Earth’s center and the North and South Poles about which Earth rotates Big Bang: the initial explosion that resulted in the formation and expansion of the universe Biosphere: all living things, one of the four sphere into which scientists divide Earth
Black hole: the remains of an extremely massive star pulled into a small volume by
the force of gravity Cementation: the process by which dissolved minerals crystallize and glue particles together into one mass Chemical weathering: the process that breaks down rock through chemical changes Cirrus: wispy, feathery clouds made mostly of ice crystals that form at high levels, above about 6 kilometers Climate: the average, year-after-year conditions of temperature, precipitation, winds, and clouds in a particular area Comet: a ball of ice and dust whose orbit is a long, narrow ellipse Compound: a substance in which two or more elements are chemically joined Condensation: the process by which a gas changes to a liquid Conduction: the transfer of heat from one substance to another by direct contact of of matter Constellation: a pattern of stars in the sky Continental Drift: the hypothesis that the continents are slowly moving across the Earth’s surface. Convection: the transfer of heat by movement through a fluid Convergent Boundary: a plate boundary where two plates move towards each other Coriolis Effect: the way the Earth’s rotation makes winds in the Northern Hemisphere curve to the right and the winds in the Southern Hemisphere curve to the left Current: a large stream of moving water that flows through the ocean Cyclone: a swirling center of low air pressure Density: the amount of mass in a given space Deposition: the process by which sediment settles out of the water or wind that is carrying it, and is deposited in a new area Dew Point: the temperature at which condensation begins Divergent Boundary: a plate boundary where two plates move away from each other El Nino: an abnormal climate event over the Equinox: the two days of the year where neither Hemisphere is tilted toward nor away from the sun Era: one of the three long units of geological time between the Precambrian and current Erosion: the process by which water, ice, wind, or gravity moves fragments of rock and soil Evaporation: the process by which molecules at the surface of a liquid absorb enough energy to transform into a gaseous state Evolution: the process by which all kinds of living things have changed over time Fault: a break or crack in the Earth’s lithosphere along which rocks move Fossil: the preserved remains of living things Gas Giants: the name given the first four outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn., Uranus, Geologic Time Scale: a record of the geological events and life forms in Earth’s History Greenhouse Effect: the process by which heat is trapped in the atmosphere by water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases Groundwater: water that fills the cracks and pores in underground soil and rock Half-life: the time it takes for half of the atoms of a radioactive element to decay Humidity: a measure of the amount of water vapor in the air Hydrosphere: Earth’s water and ice. One of the four spheres into which scientists divide Earth Hypothesis: a possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to a scientific question Igneous Rock: a type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or below the surface Inference: an interpretation based on prior knowledge and observation Inorganic: not formed from living things or the remains of living things Intrusion: an igneous rock layer formed when magma cools below the surface Invertebrate: an animal without a backbone Jet Streams: bands of high speed winds about 10 Km above the surface of Earth
Latitude: the distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees Law of Superposition: the geologic principle that states that in horizontal rock layers of sedimentary rock, each layer is older that the layer above it an younger than the one below it Light-year: the distance light travels in one year Longitude: the distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees Lunar Eclipse: the blocking of sunlight to the moon that occurs when the Earth is
directly between the sun and the moon Mantle: the layer of hot, solid material between Earth’s crust and core Mechanical Weathering: the type of weathering in which rock is physically broken down into smaller pieces Metamorphic Rock: a type of rock that is changed by heat and pressure Mineral: a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical structure Nebula: a large amount of gas and dust in space, spread out in an immense volume Neutron Star: a tiny star that remains after a supernova explosion Ozone: a form of oxygen atom with three molecules of oxygen instead of two Permeable: characteristic of materials such as gravel which allow water to flow through Photosynthesis: the process by which plants turn carbon dioxide, water, and energy from the sun to make food Plate Tectonics: the theory that pieces of the Earth’s crust are in constant motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle Precipitation: forms of water such as rain that fall from clouds to reach Earth Radioactive Decay: the breakdown of a radioactive element, releasing particles of energy Relative Age: the age of a rock compared to the ages of rock layers Relative Humidity: the percentage of water vapor in the air compared to the total possible amount the air can hold at that temperature Revolution: the movement of an object around another object Rock Cycle: a series of processes on the surface and inside earth that slowly change rocks from one form to another Satellite: any object that revolves around another object in space Sea-floor Spreading: the process by which molten material adds new oceanic crust Sedimentary Rock: a type of rock that forms when pieces of other rocks or remains of living things are pressed and cemented together Soil Horizon: a layer of soil that differs in color and textures of the soil above or below it Solar Eclipse: the blocking of sunlight to the Earth when the moon is directly between the Earth and sun Solar Flare: an explosion of hydrogen gas from the Sun’s surface that occurs when sunspot regions suddenly connect Solar Wind: a stream of electronically charged particles produced by the suns Solstice: the two days of the year when the day is as long as the night Stratus: clouds that form in flat layers Subduction: the process by which oceanic crust sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench and back into the mantle Sunspots: dark, cooler regions on the surface of the sun Supernova: the explosion of a dying giant or supergiant star Terrestrial Planets: the name given to the four inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars Texture: the size, shape, and pattern of a rock’s grains Tides: the daily rise and fall of Earth’s waters on shores Topographic Map: a map that shows the surface features of an area Transform Boundary: a plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions Troposphere: the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere, where weather occurs Unconformity: a place where an old, eroded rock surface is in contact with a new rock layer Water Cycle: the continuous process by which water moves from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back again Weather: the condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place Weathering: the chemical and physical process of rocks breaking down Wind: the horizontal movement of air from an area of higher pressure to an area of lower pressure |
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