Earth Science

Atmosphere – The layer of gases surrounding the Earth.

Asthenosphere – A soft layer of the upper mantle that allows plate movement.

Biosphere – All living things on Earth and their environments.

Bedrock – Solid rock beneath soil and sediments.

Crust – The outermost layer of the Earth.

Climate – The long-term weather pattern of a place.

Deposition – The process where sediments are dropped.

Delta – Land formed where a river deposits sediment into a body of water.

Earthquake – Shaking of the ground caused by tectonic movement.

Erosion – The wearing away of rocks by wind, water, or ice.

Fault – A crack in Earth’s crust where movement occurs.

Fossil – Preserved remains of ancient organisms.

Geology – The study of the Earth and its processes.

Glacier – A large, slow-moving mass of ice.

Hydrosphere – All water on Earth.

Humidity – The amount of water vapor in the air.

Igneous Rock – Rock formed from cooled magma or lava.

Inner Core – The solid, hottest part of Earth’s core.

Jurassic Period – A geologic time period known for dinosaurs and major continental changes.

Joint – A crack in rock without movement.

Karst – A landscape formed by dissolved limestone.

Kinetic Energy – Energy due to motion.

Lava – Magma that reaches Earth’s surface.

Lithosphere – The rigid outer layer of Earth.

Mantle – The layer between the crust and core.

Magma – Molten rock beneath Earth’s surface.

Natural Resources – Materials from nature used by humans.

Nutrient Cycle – Movement of nutrients through ecosystems.

Ocean Current – Continuous movement of ocean water.

Ozone Layer – Atmospheric layer that blocks harmful UV rays.

Plate Tectonics – Theory explaining movement of Earth’s plates.

Precipitation – Rain, snow, sleet, or hail falling from clouds.

Quartz – A common mineral made of silicon and oxygen.

Quake – Another term for earthquake.

Rock Cycle – Process that forms and transforms rocks.

Renewable Resources – Resources that can be naturally replaced.

Sediment – Small particles of rock or soil.

Seismic Waves – Energy waves from earthquakes.

Topography – The shape of Earth’s surface.

Tsunami – Large ocean waves caused by underwater disturbances.

Uplift – Rising of Earth’s surface due to tectonic forces.

Uniformitarianism – Idea that present processes shaped the past.

Volcano – An opening where magma erupts.

Vent – Opening through which volcanic materials escape.

Weather – Day-to-day condition of the atmosphere.

Weathering – Breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces.

Xenolith – A rock fragment inside another rock.

X-ray Diffraction – Method used to study minerals.

Yield – Energy released by an earthquake.

Zone (Subduction Zone) – Area where one tectonic plate moves under another.