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Earth's Structures

Unit 6

Term	Definition
Mineral	A natural, usually inorganic solid that has a characteristic chemical comp
Element	A substance that cannot be separated or broken down into simpler substance by chemical means; all atoms of an element have the same atomic number.
Atom	The smallest unit of an element that mantains the properties of that element.
Compound	A substance made up of atoms or ions of two or more different elements joined by chemical bonds.
Matter	Anything that has mass and takes up space.
Crystal	Natural solid substance that has a definite shape.
Streak	The color of a mineral in powered form.
Luster	The way in which a mineral reflects light.
Cleavage	In geology the tendency of a mineral to split along specific plates of weakness to form smooth flat surfaces.
Weathering	The natural process by which atmospheric and environmental agents, such as wind, rain, and temperature changes, disintegrate and decompose rocks.
Erosion	the process by which wind, water, ice, or crafting transport soil and salmon from one location to another.
Deposition	The process in which material is laid down.
Igneous Rock	Lock that forms when Magma cools and solidifies.
Sedimentary Rock	A rock that forms from compressed or cemented layers of sediment.
Metamorphic Rock	A rock that forms from other rocks as a result of intense heat, pressure, what chemical processes.
Uplift	The rising of regions of the Earth's crust to higher elevations.
Subsidence	The sinking of regions of the Earth's crust to lower elevations
Rift Zone	An area of deep cracks that form between two tectonic plates that are pulled away from each other.
Crust	The thin and solid outermost layer of Earth above the mantle.
Mantle	The layer of Rock Between Earth's crust and core.
Convection	The movement of matter due to differences in density; the transfer of energy due to movement of matter.
Core	The center part of Earth below the mantle.
Lithosphere	The solid outer layer of Earth that consists of the crust and rigid upper part of the mantle.
Asthenosphere	The soft layer of the mantle on which tectonic plates move
Mesosphere	The strong, lower part of the mantle between asthenosphere and outer core.
Pangaea	The supercontinent that formed 300 million years ago and began to break up 200 million years ago.
Sea-floor spreading	The process by which new Oceanic lithosphere( sea floor) forms when magma Rises into Earth's surface at mid-ocean ridges and solidifies, as older, existing sea floor moves away from the ridge.
Plate tectonics	The theory that explains how large pieces of lithosphere, called plates, move and change shape.
Tectonic plates	A block of lithosphere that consists of the crust and the rigid, uppermost part of the mantle.
Convergent boundary	The boundary between plates that are colliding.
Divergent boundary	The boundary between two tectonic plates thet are moving away from each other.
Transform boundary	The boundary between tectonic plates that are sliding past each other horizontally.
Convection	The movement of matter due to differences in density; the transfer of energy due to the movement of matter.
Deformation	The bending, tilting, and breaking of Earth's crust; the change in the shape of rock in response to stress.
Folding	The bending of rock layers due to stress.
Fault	A break in a body of rock along which one block moves relative to another.
Shear Stress	Stress that occurs when forces act in parallel bot opposite directions, pushing parts of a solid in oppsite directions.
Tension	Stress that occurs when forces act to stretch an object.
Compression	Stress that occurs when forces act to squeeze an object.
Earthquake	A movement or trembling of the ground that is caused by a sudden release of energy when rocks along a fault move.
Focus	The location within Earth along a fault at which the first motion of an earthquake occurs.
Epicenter	The point on Earth's surface directly above an eartquke's starting point, or focus
Tectonic Plate Boundary	The edge between two of more plates classifiedas divergent, convergent, transform by the movement taking place between the plates.
Elastic Redound	The sudden return of elastically deformed rock to its underformed shape.
Volcanos	A vent of fissure in Earth's surface through which magma and gases are expelled.
Magma	The molten or partially molten rock materil containing trapped gases produced under the earth's surface.
Lava	Magma that flows onto Earth's surface; the rock that forms when lava cools and solidifies.
Vent	An opening at the surface of the Earth through which volcanic material passes.
Hot Spot	A volcanically active ares of Earth's surface, commonly far from a tectonic plate boundary.

Created by: MrsGranison

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