Download CSCOPE Unit 7 Forces That Change the Earth

CSCOPE Unit 7 Forces That Change the Earth Glossary
Asthenosphere—layer in the
upper part of Earth’s mantle
that is made of material that
can be reshaped and
deformed, and on which the
continents move
Convergent boundary—
formed where two sections of
Earth’s crust are colliding
Basalt—type of dense igneous
rock that makes up oceanic
crusts
Delta—a fan-shaped deposit of
sediments found where a river
empties into a lake or ocean
Canyon—a narrow valley with
steep sides cut into the earth by
running water
Deposition—process by which
water, ice, wind, and gravity
deposit eroded sediments in
new location
Crust—the thin, rigid outer
layer of the Earth
Continental drift—the
hypothesis that all continents
were once connected in a
single, large land mass that
broke apart and drifted to the
present locations; proposed by
Alfred Wegener
Depression—a low spot in the
topography of the earth; a
large hole in the ground
Divergent boundary—forms
where lithospheric plates are
moving away from each other
Contour interval—difference
in elevation between two
contour lines on a topographic
map
Earthquake—energy traveling
as waves passing through
earth, caused by a sudden shift
along a fault line, or volcanic
activity
Contour line—on a map, line
that connects points of
elevation above sea level
Erosion (transport)—the
movement of soil and sediment
from one location to another by
wind, water, ice, gravity, or
living organisms
Convection—transfer of
thermal energy in a fluid (liquid
or gas), in which warmer fluid
rises and cooler fluid sinks in a
convection current
Fault—a break in Earth’s crust
along which movement occurs
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Mantle—the thickest of Earth’s
layers found between the outer
core and the crust; is a solid
but is so hot and under so
much pressure it flows like a
thick liquid
Granite—a type of igneous
rock that makes up continental
crust
Hachure marks—small inward
pointing lines that indicate a
depression on a topographic
map
Metamorphic rock—rock that
has been transformed
underground by intense heat
and pressure
Igneous rock—rock formed
when molten lava or magma
cools and solidifies
Mountain—a tall topographic
feature on the Earth’s surface
formed by volcanic eruptions,
or the tectonic folding or
faulting of the Earth’s crust
Index contours—darkened
contour lines on a topographic
map used to find elevation
Island—a smaller body of land
surrounded by water
Pangaea—an ancient single
land mass believed to have
broken up to form today’s
continents
Lava—molten rock that erupts
from a volcano
Law of Superposition—in a
sequence of sedimentary rock
layers, the oldest layer is on the
bottom and become younger as
you move upward; proposed
by Nicholas Steno
Plate tectonics—the theory
that includes the study of
continental drift and the
concept of seafloor spreading;
proposed by Dan McKenzie
Principle of
Uniformitarianism—states
that geologic forces that
change the earth today, also
operated in the past; proposed
by James Hutton (Father of
Modern Geology)
Lithosphere—the solid part of
earth that includes the crust
and the outer mantle
Magma—liquid, molten rock
beneath Earth’s surface
River—a flowing body of water
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Rock—a mixture of minerals,
volcanic glass, or organic
matter formed by natural
processes
Subduction—the process in
which one lithospheric plate
slides under another; occurs at
converging boundaries
Rock cycle—the slow,
continuous process by which
rocks change from one type to
another
Tectonic plates—giant,
irregular pieces of Earth’s
outermost layer that move
around on the softer mantle
below
Seafloor spreading—theory
that new seafloor is formed
when magma is forced upward
toward the surface at a midocean ridge; proposed by
Harry Hess
Topography—the shape of the
Earth’s surface
Topographic map—a map that
uses contour lines to show the
surface features of an area
Sediment—small particles of
rock, soil, sand, or shell
deposited by water, wind, ice,
or gravity
Transform boundary—
boundary between two
lithospheric plates where the
plates are sliding past each
other
Sedimentary rock—rock
formed when layers of
sediment are pressed together
and cemented over time by
heat, pressure, and dissolved
minerals
Tsunami—a giant, dangerous
ocean wave triggered by an
earthquake, landslide, or
volcanic eruption
Seismic waves—a vibration
that travels through Earth,
usually caused by an
earthquake; measured by a
seismograph
Volcano—hill or mountain
formed by material that erupts
onto Earth’s surface
Weathering—process by which
water, wind and ice wear down
rocks and other exposed
surfaces (physical and
chemical)
Slope—the amount of deviation
or tilt from the horizontal plane
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