Ch. 3 Key Terms

Question 1

geosphere

Answer 1

the most solid, rocky part of earth

Question 2

hydrosphere

Answer 2

the portion of earth that is water

Question 3

crust

Answer 3

the thin line and solid outermost layer of earth above the mantle

Question 4

mantle

Answer 4

in earth science, the layer of rock between the earth’s crust and core

Question 5

core

Answer 5

the central part of earth below the mantle

Question 6

lithosphere

Answer 6

the soild, outer layer of the earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle

Question 7

asthenosphere

Answer 7

the solid, plastic layer of the mantle beneath the lithosphere

Question 8

tectonic plate

Answer 8

a block of lithosphere that consist of the crust and the rigid, outermost part of the mantle

Question 9

chemical weathering

Answer 9

the process by which rocks break down as a result of chemical reactions

Question 10

erosion

Answer 10

a process in which the materials of earth’s surface are loosened, dissolved, or worn away and transported from one place to another by a natural agent, such as wind, water, ice, or gravity