Download The Land Beneath Our Feet (Geology) Vocabulary

The Land Beneath Our Feet (Geology) Vocabulary
Word/Term
Definition
Density
The amount of mass in a given space; mass per unit volume
Inner Core
Innermost layer of the Earth; solid nickel and iron
Outer Core
Liquid layer of the Earth made out of nickel and iron; lies
between the inner core and the mantle
Mantle
The layer of material between Earth's crust and core;
extremely hot; mostly solid but with becomes liquid as you
get nearer the outer core
Asthenosphere
Upper part of the mantle
Lithosphere
A rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle
and crust
Crust
The layer of rock that forms Earth's outer surface; made of
basalt and granite; both oceanic and continental
Continental
Drift
The hypothesis that the continents slowly move across
Earth's surface
Tectonic Plate
A rigid layer of Earth's crust that is believed to drift slowly
Pangaea
The name of the single landmass that broke apart 200 million
years ago and gave rise to today's continents
Plate Tectonics
The theory that pieces of earth's lithosphere are in constant
motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle
Primary Waves
A type of seismic wave that compresses and expands the
ground
Secondary
Waves
A type of seismic wave that moves the ground up and down or
side to side
Surface Waves
A type of seismic wave that forms when a P wave and S wave
reach Earth's surface
Earthquake
The shaking that results from the movement of rock beneath
Earth's surface
Volcano
A weak spot in the crust where magma has come to the
surface
Igneous Rock
A rock formed from cooled magma
Metamorphic
Rock
type of rock that forms when rock is exposed to high
temperature and pressure
Sedimentary
Rock
Type of rock that forms from layers of sediment compacted
and cemented together
Rock Cycle
The never-ending cycle in which one rock type changes into
another rock type
Soil
Mixture of minerals, water, air, and decayed organic matter
Soil Profile/
Horizons
Different types of soil, each with its own set of
characteristics
Particle Size
The general dimensions of the particles or mineral grains in a
rock or sediment
pH
Measures the acidity of a solution. A pH of 7 is neutral;
smaller numbers are more acidic and larger numbers are
more alkaline
Soil
The top layer of Earth's surface containing weathered rocks
and minerals and organic material
Erosion
The transport of weathered materials by water, wind, ice, or
gravity
Weathering
The chemical or physical breakdown of rocks, soils or
minerals at Earth's surface
Conservation
Plowing
Technique where farmers plow with the curve of the land
instead of in straight rows
Contour Plowing
Plowing along the contour of the land(hill) to minimize soil
erosion
Crop Rotation
System of rotating crops
Stewardship
A person whose responsibility is to take care of something