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Science 391 > Earth Systems > Flashcards

Earth Systems Flashcards

1
Q

Continental Crust

A

crust found under continents; made of mostly silicon, oxygen, and aluminum

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2
Q

Outer Core

A

the heated, liquified rock layer under the mantle.

Very hot liquid iron and nickel
1. Crust
2. Mantle
3. Outer Core
4. Inner Core

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3
Q

Jet Streams

A

strong eastward winds in the stratosphere which blow horizontally around the earth

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4
Q

Exosphere

A

A layer in the atmosphere that separates the thermosphere from outer space.

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5
Q

Geyser

A

A hot spring of water that shoots water and steam into the air. This happens when magma heats the groundwater.

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6
Q

Thermosphere

A

A very thin layer of high-temperature atmosphere that includes the ionosphere and exosphere.

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7
Q

Plastic

A

a state in which a material is solid but can flow (generally slowly)

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8
Q

Weathering

A

a destructive process in which rock is gradually worn away and broken into smaller sediments and/or dirt

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9
Q

Asthenosphere

A

part of the upper mantle just below the lithosphere that is solid rock in a flexible state

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10
Q

Organic Material

A

dead plant and animal material in the soil

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11
Q

Erosion

A

The slow wearing away the surface of the land by wind or water

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12
Q

Tectonic Plates

A

Plates or parts of Earth’s crust and upper mantle that move across the asthenosphere

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13
Q

Nutrients

A

nutrient-rich foods and drinks. They support growth, energy production, and organism maintenance.

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14
Q

Continental Arctic Air Mass (cA)

A

A mass of cold, dry air that formed over land in the Arctic.

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15
Q

Maritime Tropical Air Mass (mT)

A

A warm, moist air mass that formed over tropical oceans

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16
Q

Aquifer

A

a body of water-soaked rock that is deep underground

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17
Q

Sedimentary Rock

A

When sands build up and stick together, they turn into rock.

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18
Q

Water Table

A

the level below which the soil and rock remain saturated with water`

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19
Q

Lithosphere

A

The crust and the top mantle make up the rigid outermost layer of the earth.

Includes crust and upper mantle. Solid rock.

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20
Q

Maritime Polar Air Mass (mP)

A

A mass of cold, wet air that grew over the polar seas.

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21
Q

Chemical Weathering

A

the process of breaking down rocks by chemical means
Ex: acid rain

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22
Q

Continental Tropical (cT)

A

A warm, dry air mass that formed over tropical landmasses

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23
Q

Plate Tectonics

A

parts of the Earth’s crust moving in big ways over long periods of time.

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24
Q

Convection Currents

A

the movement of fluid which transfers heat from one place to another

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25
Q

Air Masses

A

Regions of warm or cold, wet or dry air that tend to move together across Earth’s surface, taking their temperature and humidity with them.

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26
Q

Mesosphere

A

the coldest layer in the atmosphere; protects the earth from meteoroids

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27
Q

Convergent Boundary / Destructive Boundary

A

A place where two tectonic plates move toward each other. This makes mountains and valleys.

28
Q

Meteoroids

A

Small pieces of debris from space that fall into the Earth’s atmosphere and can then become meteors

29
Q

Hot Spring

A

a geological feature that happens when geothermal action heats water and pushes it to the surface of the Earth.

30
Q

Cleavage

A

the pattern along which the mineral breaks

31
Q

Coriolis Effect

A

Due to the Earth’s spin and unequal heating, things in the northern hemisphere move right and items in the southern move left.

32
Q

Constructive Processes

A

processes that add new landforms to the surface of the earth

hot spots causing volcanoes

33
Q

Surface Water

A

water held on the surface of the earth

lake

34
Q

Specific Gravity

A

the ratio of how heavy the mineral is to how heavy water is

35
Q

Streak

A

The mineral’s powder color. Moving a mineral across unglazed porcelain gives this color.

36
Q

Continental Polar Air Mass (cP)

A

A cold, dry air mass that formed over polar landmasses

37
Q

Crystalline Structure

A

the degree to which a mineral has a crystal lattice structure. The more crystalline a mineral is, the harder it is to see the crystal lattice structure with the naked eye.

38
Q

Troposphere

A

the layer of gases closest to the earth where weather occurs

39
Q

Air Pressure / Atmospheric Pressure

A

the force put on an area by the weight of the air in the atmosphere above.

40
Q

Hot Spot

A

A place far from the edges of tectonic plates where upwelling magma makes a hole in the Earth’s rock and lava comes out of it.
Galapagos Islands

41
Q

Rock

A

an accumulation of one or more minerals

42
Q

Mechanical Weathering

A

the process of breaking down rocks by physical means

water freezes in a crack in the rock and breaks it apart

43
Q

Ultraviolet Radiation

A

This type of energy can heat up the world and hurt the cells of living things.

44
Q

Oceanic Crust

A

crust found under oceans; made of mostly silicon, oxygen, and magnesium

45
Q

Igneous Rock

A

When molten rock or lava cools, it forms rock with air spaces or crystals.

46
Q

Atmosphere

A

the gases surrounding the surface of the earth

47
Q

Destructive Processes

A

processes that break down or destroy landforms

water running across a rock causes the rock to wear down

48
Q

Ocean Basin

A

When oceanic crust sinks, it makes depressions on the earth’s surface that become oceans.

49
Q

Ionosphere

A

a layer of ions and free electrons in the atmosphere that can bounce and direct radio waves

50
Q

Tenacity

A

the mineral’s power to stay together or not break when put under pressure

51
Q

Southern Hemisphere

A

The half of the earth south of the equator

52
Q

Soil

A

the top layer of the earth’s surface. It is made from rocks that have broken down over time.

53
Q

Transform Boundary

A

A place where two tectonic plates slide past each other. The earth around the border is folded.

54
Q

Feedback Loop (in Systems)

A

the part of a system where some (or all) of the output is used as input for other tasks

55
Q

Mineral

A

a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with an orderly, network structure and definite chemical composition

56
Q

Nuclear Fission

A

a process in which the nuclei of an atom is split, releasing a massive amount of energy.

57
Q

Diaphaneity

A

the transparency of the mineral or ability of light to pass through it

58
Q

Divergent Boundary / Constructive Boundary

A

a boundary between tectonic plates where the two plates move away from one another; creates new crust

59
Q

Ozone Layer

A

a layer of ozone in the stratosphere that blocks harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the earth’s surface

60
Q

Crust

A

the outermost and coolest layer of the earth
Thin solid outer layer we see

61
Q

Metamorphic Rock

A

form when rock is subjected to great heat and pressure; banding or stripes

Marble

62
Q

Inner Core

A

the extremely hot innermost layer of the earth; composed of mostly solid iron and nickel

Very hot solid, mostly iron

63
Q

Groundwater

A

water below the earth’s surface held in the spaces between rock and soil particles

64
Q

Surface Current

A

a river-like flow of water of different temperature within Earth’s oceans

65
Q

Mantle

A

the layer of the earth just beneath the crust; composed of very hot rock

Rock that behaves similarly to modeling clay

66
Q

Stratosphere

A

the layer above the troposphere; contains jet streams and the ozone layer

67
Q

Magma

A

underground molten rock that is there before and during an earthquake.

Science 391 (19 decks)

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