Terms : Hide Images
| 5483767227 | Core | the innermost zone of Earth's interior, composed mostly of iron and nickel. It includes a liquid outer layer and a solid inner layer. | 0 | |
| 5483770027 | Mantle | the layer of Earth above the core, containing magma | 1 | |
| 5483771519 | magma | molten rock | 2 | |
| 5483772906 | asthenosphere | the layer of Earth located in the outer part of the mantle, composed of semi-molten rock | 3 | |
| 5483904300 | lithosphere | the outermost layer of Earth, including the mantle and crust | 4 | |
| 5483906348 | crust | in geology, the chemically distinct outermost layer of the lithosphere | 5 | |
| 5483908406 | hot spot | in geology, a place where molten material from Earth's mantle reaches the lithosphere | 6 | |
| 5483913531 | plate tectonics | the theory that the lithosphere of Earth is divided into plates, most of which are in constant motion | 7 | |
| 5483916051 | tectonic cycle | the sum of the processes that build up and break down the lithosphere | 8 | |
| 5483919284 | subduction | the process of one crustal plate passing under another | 9 | |
| 5483921038 | volcano | a vent in the surface of Earth that emits ash, gases, or molten lava | 10 | |
| 5483922425 | divergent plate boundary | an area beneath the ocean where tectonic plates move away from each other | 11 | |
| 5483925817 | seafloor spreading | the formation of new ocean crust as a result of magma pushing upward and outward from Earth's mantle to the surface | 12 | |
| 5483936060 | convergent plate boundary | an area where plates move toward one another and colide | 13 | |
| 5484127825 | transform fault boundary | an area where tectonic plates move sideways past each other | 14 | |
| 5483936791 | fault | a fracture in rock caused by a movement of Earth's crust | 15 | |
| 5483940023 | seismic activity | the frequency and intensity of earthquakes experienced over time | 16 | |
| 5483942801 | fault zone | a large expanse of rock where a fault has occurred | 17 | |
| 5483944874 | earthquake | the sudden movement of Earth's crust caused by a release of potential energy along a geological fault and usually causing a vibration or trembling in Earth's surface | 18 | |
| 5483951733 | epicenter | the exact point on the surface of Earth directly above the location where rock ruptures during an earthquake | 19 | |
| 5483964703 | richter scale | a scale that measures the largest ground movement that occurs during an earthquake | 20 | |
| 5483966400 | rock cycle | the geologic cycle governing the constant formation, alteration, and destruction of rock material that results from tectonics, weathering, and erosion, among other processes | 21 | |
| 5483971255 | igneous rock | rock formed directly from magma | 22 | |
| 5483975758 | intrusive igneous rock | igneous rock that forms when magma rises up and cools in a place underground | 23 | |
| 5483977956 | extrusive igneous rock | rock that forms when magma cools above the surface of Earth | 24 | |
| 5483980291 | fracture | In geology, a crack that occurs in rock as it cools | 25 | |
| 5483983368 | sedimentary rock | rock that forms when sediments such as muds, sands, or gravels are compressed by overlying sediments | 26 | |
| 5483988048 | metamorphic rock | rock that forms when sedimentary rock, igneous rock, or other metamorphic rock is subjected to high temperature and pressure | 27 | |
| 5483992147 | physical weathering | the mechanical breakdown of rocks and minerals | 28 | |
| 5483993626 | chemical weathering | the breakdown of rocks and minerals by chemical reactions, the dissolving of chemical elements from rocks, or both | 29 | |
| 5484000083 | acid precipitation/acid rain | precipitation high in sulfuric acid and nitric acid from reactions between water vapor and sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere | 30 | |
| 5484007378 | erosion | the physical removal of rock fragments from a landscape or ecosystem | 31 | |
| 5484009850 | parent material | rock material from which the inorganic components of soil are derived | 32 | |
| 5484013856 | soil degradation | the loss of some or all of a soil's ability to support plant growth | 33 | |
| 5484015313 | horizon | a horizontal layer in a soil defined by distinctive physical features such as texture and color | 34 | |
| 5484018884 | O horizon | the organic horizon at the surface of many soils, composed of organic detritus in various stages of decomposition | 35 | |
| 5484021756 | A horizon/Topsoil | frequently the top layer of soil, a zone of organic material and minerals that have been mixed together | 36 | |
| 5484026992 | E horizon | a zone of leaching, or eluviation, found in some acidic soils under the O horizon or, less often, the A horizon | 37 | |
| 5484049350 | B horizon | a soil horizon composed primarily of mineral material with very little organic matter | 38 | |
| 5484052856 | C horizon | the least-weathered soil horizon, which always occurs beneath the B horizon and is similar to the parent material | 39 | |
| 5484059208 | cation exchange capacity (CEC) | The ability of a particular soil to absorb and release cation | 40 | |
| 5484065663 | base saturation | the proportion of soil bases to soil acids, expressed as a percentage | 41 | |
| 5484071976 | crustal abundance | the average concentration of an element in Earth's crust | 42 | |
| 5484072905 | ore | a concentrated accumulation of minerals from which economically valuable minerals can be extracted | 43 | |
| 5484076530 | metal | an element with properties that allow it to conduct electricity and heat energy, and to perform other important functions | 44 | |
| 5484080105 | reserve | in resource management, the known quality of a resource can be economically recovered | 45 | |
| 5484083741 | strip mining | the removal of strips of soil and rock to expose ore | 46 | |
| 5484085532 | mining spoils/tailings | unwanted waste material created during mining | 47 | |
| 5484089001 | Open-pit mining | a mining technique that uses a large visible pit or hole in the ground | 48 | |
| 5484091025 | Mountaintop removal | a mining technique in which the entire top of a mountain is removed with explosives | 49 | |
| 5484094501 | placer mining | the process of looking for minerals, metals, and precious stones in river sediments | 50 | |
| 5484098895 | subsurface mining | mining techniques used when the desired resource is more than 100m (328 feet) below the surface of earth | 51 |
