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ACT - Science Vocabulary - Earth Science Flashcards

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387416430Atmospherea distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing
387416431Biogeochemical cyclesprocess in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another
387416432Biospherethe regions of the surface and atmosphere of the Earth (or other planet) where living organisms exist
387416433Carbon cyclethe organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again
387416434Continental plateslithospheric plates including land
387416435Corethe central part of the Earth
387416436Crustthe outer layer of the Earth
387416437Earth Systems ScienceAn emerging science of earth as a complete entity (physical, chemical, biological, planetary change, etc.)
387416438Earthquakessudden movements of Earth's crust followed by a series of shocks
387416439Geospherethe solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle
387416440Hydrospherethe watery layer of the earth's surface
387416441Lithospherethe solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle
387416442Mantlethe layer of the earth between the crust and the core
387416443Mantle convectionmantle of Earth slowly convectively (rotating) overturns (maybe)
387416444Mid-ocean ridgesan undersea mountain chain
387416445Mountain beltsgroup of large mountain systems
387416446Nitrogen cyclethe circulation of nitrogen
387416447Oceanic plateswhen two oceanic plates collide the older one is subducted under the younger
387416448Plate boundarieswhen plates interact with each other
387416449Plate movementsVolcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and mountain formation can all be caused by this
387416450Plate tectonics theoryTheory that great slabs or plates of Earth's outer layer float on a hot, semi-molten mantle. All plates are moving slowly and have rafted continents to new positions over time.
387416451subduction zonesplaces where plates are pushed down into the upper mantle
387416452Tectonic platesSections of the Earth's crust that move due to convection currents.
387416453Upper mantlethe upper part of the mantle
387416454Volcanoesopenings in Earth's crust from which molten rock, dust, ash, and hot gases flow or erupt
387416455Asthenospherethe lower layer of the crust
387416456Body wavesseismic waves that travel through the Earth's interior
387416457continental crustThe thickest type of crust.
387416458Convectionthe transfer of heat through a fluid (liquid or gas) caused by molecular motion
387416459Inner coresolid, dense center of the Earth
387416460Magnitudethe property of relative size or extent
387416461Magmamolten rock in the earth's crust
387416462Hailprecipitation of ice pellets when there are strong rising air currents noun
387416463Hurricanesfierce tropical storms with strong winds
387416464Lightningthe flash of light that accompanies an electric discharge in the atmosphere (or something resembling such a flash) noun Ex. can scintillate for a second or more
387416465Wavesare rhythmic back and forth motions of water that transferenergy through the water
387416466Droughta temporary shortage of rainfall
387416467Atmospherethe mass of air surrounding the Earth noun Ex. "there was great heat as the comet entered the atmosphere"; "it was exposed to the air"
387416468Floodingoverfull with water adjective Ex. "swollen rivers and creeks"
387416469seasonal variationsa pattern in a time series that repeats itself at known regular intervals of time
387416470Thunderstormselectric storm, electrical storm
387416471Tornadoesdestructive rotating column of air that has very high wind speeds visible as a funnel shpaed cloud that touches the ground
387416472Unconformitiesgaps in rock records made when agents of erosion remove existing rock layers
387416473Index Fossilsdistinctive fossil used to compare the relative ages of fossils
387416474Coolingthe process when magma , lava , hot rock, or etc, somehow cool down or in the process of becoming cool.
387416475Erosion(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it
387416476Igneous rocksrocks formed by the cooling of molten rock
387416477Metamorphismchange in the structure of rock by natural agencies such as pressure or heat of introduction of new chemical substances
387416478Molten rockrock that is so hot it is a very thick, slow-moving liquid
387416479Rock cyclesequence of events in which rocks are formed, destroyed, altered, and reformed by geological processes
387416480Rock sequenceThe order of rocks according to the geological age where they can be found User-contributed
387416481Cloudsa visible collection of particles of water or ice suspended in the air, usually at an elevation above the earth's surface
387416482Blizzardsa heavy and prolonged snowstorm covering a wide area
387416483Air massesa body of air covering a relatively wide area, exhibiting approximately uniform properties through any horizontal section
387416484Air densitymass of air molecules found within a fixed volume of air
387416485Convectionthe transfer of heat through a fluid (liquid or gas) caused by molecular motion
387416486Conductionthe transmission of heat or electricity or sound conducting
387416487Downburstsa localized area of strong winds in a downdraft beneath a severe thunderstorm.
387416488Convergencethe occurrence of two or more things coming together
387416489FrontsFronts are when any two air masses meet. The four major types of fronts are cold fronts, warm fronts, stationary fronts, and occluded fronts. User-contributed
387416490deep ocean currentsconvection currents that flow far beneath the surface of the ocean. they are caused by temperature differences in the water, and the earth's rotation
387416491climatic zonesareas that experience the same weather and climate patterns, with similar distribution patterns of temperature and precipitation
387416492Relative age datingdetermines when something formed or happened in relation to other things
387416493radioactive substanceA type of substance that releases neutrons and protons from its nucleus
387416494Pleistocene ice agefairly recent geological period when huge ice sheets covered most of North America and other continents

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