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Earth Science Final Vocab
vocab
71
Environmental Studies
10th Grade
06/05/2012

Additional Environmental Studies Flashcards

 


 

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Term
water cycle
Definition
water that constantly moves among the oceans, atmosphere, solid earth, and the biosphere
Term
precipitation
Definition
water that falls
Term
evaporation
Definition
when water turns from a liquid to a gas
Term
condensation
Definition

forming a cloud- gas turns to a liquid

 

Term
infiltration
Definition
the movemnt of surface water into rock or soil through cracks and pore spaces
Term
gradient
Definition
the slope or steepness of a stream channel
Term
discharge
Definition
volume of water that is passing through the river at a certain time
Term
tributary
Definition
body of water that feeds into a larger body of water
Term
deposition
Definition
occurs as streamflow drops below the critical setting velocity of a certain particle size
Term
drainage basin
Definition
the land area that contributes water to a stream
Term
divide
Definition
an imaginary line that separates the drainage basins of the stream from another
Term
water table
Definition
upper level of the zone of saturation
Term
porosity
Definition
percentage of pore staces, determines how much groundwater can be stored
Term
permeability
Definition
ability to transmit water through connected pore spaces
Term
aquifer
Definition
permeable rock layers or sediments that transmits groundwater freely
Term
spring
Definition
ground surface and water table intersect
Term
cavern
Definition
naturally formed underground chamber, made from limestone and carbonic acid
Term
precession
Definition
traces out a cone over a period of 26,000 years- movement of our axis
Term
crecent
Definition
less than half is visible
Term
gibbous
Definition
more than half is visible
Term
perihelion
Definition
the time in janurary when earth is closest to the sun
Term
aphelion
Definition
the time in july when earth is fartherst from the sun
Term
perigee
Definition
the point at which the moon is closest to the earth
Term
apogee
Definition
the point at which the moon is fartherst from earth
Term
precambrian
Definition
88% of earths history
Term
phanerozoic
Definition
3 eras within the
Term
uniformitarianism
Definition
the concept that processes that have shaped earth in the past are essentially the same as those operating today
Term
law of superposition
Definition
undeformed sequence of sedimentary rocks, ecah bed is older than the one above it
Term
original horizontality
Definition
principle of relative dating layers of sediments are generally deposited in a horizontal position
Term
cross-cutting relationships
Definition
a rock or fault is younger than any rock or fault through which it cuts
Term
unconformities
Definition
a surface that represents a break in the rock record, caused by erosion or lack of deposition
Term
radiometric dating
Definition
procedure of calculating absolute ages of rock
Term
conduit
Definition
pipe that leads to surface of the earth from the magma chamber
Term
shield volcano
Definition
broad gently sloping, built from basaltic lavas, largest and least explosive
Term
cinder volcano
Definition
small volcano built primarily of pyroclastic material ejected from a single vent
Term
composite volcano
Definition
volcano compsed of both lava flows and pyroclastic material- most explosive
Term
lahar
Definition
mudflow created when ice and snow melt at the summit of volcanoes during an eruption
Term
caldera
Definition
large depression typically caused by collapse or ejection of the summit area of a volcano
Term
pluton
Definition
intrusive igneous structure that results from the cooling and hardening of magma beneath the surface of earth
Term
order of the layers
Definition

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere

TODAY SARAH MADE TACOS

Term
troposphere
Definition
Bottom layer, where temp decreases with an increase in altitude- where weather takes place
Term
stratosphere
Definition
characterized by increasing temps with height
Term
mesosphere
Definition
characterized by decreasing temps with height
Term
thermosphere
Definition
characterized by increasing temps due to absorption of short wave energy by oxygen
Term
cirrus clouds
Definition
high elevation, wispy and feathery looking, indicates future rain
Term
saturation
Definition
the number of water vaper particles leaving the surface balances the number returning- 100% humidity
Term
seisomogram
Definition
shows all 3 types of seismic waves- record surface waves, p waves, and s waves
Term
P-wave
Definition
push-pull waves
Term
intensity
Definition
meausre of the amount of earthquake shaking at a given location based on damage
Term
moment magnitude
Definition
derived from the amount of displacement that occurs along a fault zone
Term
lithosphere
Definition
rigid outer layer of earth, including the crust and upper mantle
Term
asthenosphere
Definition
weak plastic layer of the mantle situated below the lithosphere; rock within this zone is easily deformed
Term
divergent
Definition
where two plates move apart- constructive
Term
transform
Definition
where two plates grind past eachother w\e production or destruction of the lithosphere
Term
trench
Definition
a surface feature in the seafloor produced by the decsending plate during subduction
Term
rift valley
Definition
deep faulted structures found along the axes of divergent plate bounderies
Term
continental volcanic arc
Definition
form in part by volcanic activity caused by the subduction of oceanic lithosphere
Term
paleomagnetism
Definition
natural remnant magnetism in rock bodies; this permanent magnetization can be used to determine location of poles
Term
regolith
Definition
layer of rock and mineral fragments that covers most of earths land surface
Term
talus
Definition
an acculmution of rock debris at the base of a cliff
Term
exfoliation
Definition
reducing pressure on a rock surface allowing slbs of outer rock to break off in layers
Term
soil horizon
Definition
layer of soil that has identifiable characteristics produced by chemical weathering and other soil forming processes
Term
slump
Definition
downward slipping of a mass of rock or unconsolidated material moving as a unit along a curved surface
Term
mineral
Definition
inorganic crystalline material with a unique chemical composition
Term
cleavage
Definition
tendency of a mineral to break along a flat even surface
Term
fracture
Definition
minerals do not show cleavage when broken
Term
crystallization
Definition
molten rock cools and hardens into a mineral
Term
silicates
Definition
most common group of minerals- made of silcon and oxygen
Term
igneous
Definition
when magma or lava solidifies
Term
metamorphic
Definition
rock that is changed by heat, pressure, or fluids
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