Term
click below
click below
Term
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Physical World
Social Studies - Chapter 2
Term | Definition |
---|---|
erosion | the process by which weathered bits of rock are moved elsewhere by water, wind or ice |
desalinization | a process that makes salt water safe to drink |
Ring of Fire | a 24,000 mile stretch of volcanoes along a fault line in the Pacific Ocean |
delta | an area where sand, silt, clay or gravel is dropped at the mouth of a river |
plateau | a flat (table-like) area that rises above the surrounding land |
acid rain | water that contains harmful amounts of poisons due to pollution |
tsunami | a giant ocean wave caused by volcanic eruptions or movement under the ocean floor |
fault | a place where two tectonic plates grind against each other |
weathering | the process by which the Earth's surface is worn away by natural forces |
tectonic plate | one of the 16 enormous pieces of the Earth's crust |
axis | an imaginary line that runs through the Earth's center from the North Pole to the South Pole |
precipitation | the water that falls on the ground as rain, snow, sleet, hail or mist |
climate | the average weather in an area over a long period of time |
earthquakes | an event in which the ground shakes or trembles, brought about by the collision of tectonic plates |
glacier | a large body of ice that moves slowly across land |
plains | a large area of land that can be flat or have a small roll |
trench | a long, narrow steep cut into the ocean floor |
isthmus | a narrow strip of land that connects two larger land areas |
groundwater | the water contained inside the Earth's crust |
condensation | the result of water vapor changing to a liquid or solid state |