Nouns
Asthenosphere: the molten (melted) and flowing (plastic) part of the mantle where convection occurs.
Atmosphere: the blanket of gases that surround and protect Earth
Basalt: rock that makes up most of the oceanic plates, made up of
Biosphere: the life on Earth
Continental Drift: the theory that the Earth’s continents are drifting across the oceans.
Convection: the circular movement of heat in a gas or liquid, resulting from the rising of warmer (less dense) matter (↑), and sinking of cooler (more dense) matter (↓).
Convergent Boundary: where two plates meet in the same direction (converge)
Crust: the outermost layer of the Earth made of solid rock with low density.
Density: a measure of how tightly packed the tiny particles (called atoms and molecules) that make up any substance/material are; can be calculated by dividing the mass by the volume of the substance/material.
Divergent Boundary: where two plates move apart in opposite directions (diverge); magma flows to the surface between them creating new crust.
Earthquake: A trembling of the earth caused by a sudden release of energy (in the form of seismic waves) stored in Earth’s crust.
Earth Science (or Geoscience): the process of understanding and explaining the origin, history, structure of Earth.
Fault: a crack or fracture in the lithosphere due to Earth’s plate movement.
Fossil: the mineralized (preserved) remains or traces of an organism, often found in sedimentary rock
Geomagnetic Field: The magnetic field that surrounds, permeates, and protects the Earth. It is the presence of this field that causes compass needles to line up in a north-south direction. Earth’s magnetic field changes over time because it is generated by the motion of molten iron alloys in its outer core. However, the origin of the Earth’s magnetic field is not fully understood at the present time.
Geoscience (or Earth Science): the process of understanding and explaining the origin, history, structure of Earth.
Geoscience processes: processes that change the Earth’s surface.
Granite: rock that makes up most of the continental plates; made up of mostly feldspar, quartz, mica, and amphibole minerals.
Hot Spot: a very hot, stationary place within the mantle that melts the moving lithospheric plates, allowing magma to rise; hot spot volcanoes form over these hot spots.
Hydrosphere: the water on Earth
Inner Core: the inner most layer of the Earth made of solid Iron.
Lava: magma (molten rock) above the surface of the Earth.
Lithosphere: the solid part of Earth made up of the crust and upper mantle
Magma: molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface found in the Mantle.
Magnetic Field/Magnetic Shield: see Geomagnetic Field
Mantle: the semi-liquid, plastic layer beneath the Earth’s crust made of melted rock; where convection occurs.
Mass: the amount of matter in an object; the unit of mass is the gram (g).
Matter: anything that has mass and takes up space.
Mid-Ocean Ridges: underwater mountain ranges, typically having a valley known as a rift running along its spine, formed at divergent plate boundaries.
Model: a physical, visual, or mathematical representation used to explain some aspect of the universe.
Outer Core: the layer surrounding the inner core made of liquid Iron and Nickel.
Pangaea: a large continental landmass that existed roughly 300 MYA that has since broken up due to tectonic plate activity.
Plate Boundary: the boundary between plates; the edges where different plates meet.
Plate Tectonics: the movement of the Earth’s lithospheric plates due to convection in the mantle.
Proportion: an equation that states that two ratios are equivalent
Rift: a crack or steep opening in the lithosphere where two plates move apart in opposite directions (divergent plate boundary), usually found along mid-ocean ridges.
Rock: cooled lava that has become solid.
Scale: a relationship between two different units (ex: 1 meter = 100 cm)
Scale Model: an enlarged or reduced representation of an object that maintains the exact same proportions of the actual object.
Scientific Explanation: a logical claim about some aspect of the universe supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning.
Seafloor Spreading: the process in which new ocean floor is formed when two tectonic plates separate; occurs at divergent plate boundary.
Subduction: the process in which one lithospheric plate slides under another; occurs at convergent plate boundaries.
Supernova: an extremely energetic explosion that occurs at the end of a star’s lifetime.
Tectonic Plate: a large piece of the Earth’s lithosphere; the Earth’s lithosphere is broken into ~15 plates that “float” on the plastic asthenosphere
Transform Boundary: where two plates slide/grind past each other in opposite directions.
Trench: a deep depression at a convergent plate boundary where one plate subducts beneath another plate.
Tsunami: huge waves caused by underwater earthquakes and volcanoes.
Unit Rate: the relationship between 2 different units or scales, also known as scale factor.
Volcano: an opening in Earth’s crust through which magma rises.
Volume: the amount of space an object takes up; the unit of volume is the milliliter (mL) or cm3 (use mL for liquids and cm3 for solids).
Atmosphere: the blanket of gases that surround and protect Earth
Basalt: rock that makes up most of the oceanic plates, made up of
Biosphere: the life on Earth
Continental Drift: the theory that the Earth’s continents are drifting across the oceans.
Convection: the circular movement of heat in a gas or liquid, resulting from the rising of warmer (less dense) matter (↑), and sinking of cooler (more dense) matter (↓).
Convergent Boundary: where two plates meet in the same direction (converge)
Crust: the outermost layer of the Earth made of solid rock with low density.
Density: a measure of how tightly packed the tiny particles (called atoms and molecules) that make up any substance/material are; can be calculated by dividing the mass by the volume of the substance/material.
Divergent Boundary: where two plates move apart in opposite directions (diverge); magma flows to the surface between them creating new crust.
Earthquake: A trembling of the earth caused by a sudden release of energy (in the form of seismic waves) stored in Earth’s crust.
Earth Science (or Geoscience): the process of understanding and explaining the origin, history, structure of Earth.
Fault: a crack or fracture in the lithosphere due to Earth’s plate movement.
Fossil: the mineralized (preserved) remains or traces of an organism, often found in sedimentary rock
Geomagnetic Field: The magnetic field that surrounds, permeates, and protects the Earth. It is the presence of this field that causes compass needles to line up in a north-south direction. Earth’s magnetic field changes over time because it is generated by the motion of molten iron alloys in its outer core. However, the origin of the Earth’s magnetic field is not fully understood at the present time.
Geoscience (or Earth Science): the process of understanding and explaining the origin, history, structure of Earth.
Geoscience processes: processes that change the Earth’s surface.
Granite: rock that makes up most of the continental plates; made up of mostly feldspar, quartz, mica, and amphibole minerals.
Hot Spot: a very hot, stationary place within the mantle that melts the moving lithospheric plates, allowing magma to rise; hot spot volcanoes form over these hot spots.
Hydrosphere: the water on Earth
Inner Core: the inner most layer of the Earth made of solid Iron.
Lava: magma (molten rock) above the surface of the Earth.
Lithosphere: the solid part of Earth made up of the crust and upper mantle
Magma: molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface found in the Mantle.
Magnetic Field/Magnetic Shield: see Geomagnetic Field
Mantle: the semi-liquid, plastic layer beneath the Earth’s crust made of melted rock; where convection occurs.
Mass: the amount of matter in an object; the unit of mass is the gram (g).
Matter: anything that has mass and takes up space.
Mid-Ocean Ridges: underwater mountain ranges, typically having a valley known as a rift running along its spine, formed at divergent plate boundaries.
Model: a physical, visual, or mathematical representation used to explain some aspect of the universe.
Outer Core: the layer surrounding the inner core made of liquid Iron and Nickel.
Pangaea: a large continental landmass that existed roughly 300 MYA that has since broken up due to tectonic plate activity.
Plate Boundary: the boundary between plates; the edges where different plates meet.
Plate Tectonics: the movement of the Earth’s lithospheric plates due to convection in the mantle.
Proportion: an equation that states that two ratios are equivalent
Rift: a crack or steep opening in the lithosphere where two plates move apart in opposite directions (divergent plate boundary), usually found along mid-ocean ridges.
Rock: cooled lava that has become solid.
Scale: a relationship between two different units (ex: 1 meter = 100 cm)
Scale Model: an enlarged or reduced representation of an object that maintains the exact same proportions of the actual object.
Scientific Explanation: a logical claim about some aspect of the universe supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning.
Seafloor Spreading: the process in which new ocean floor is formed when two tectonic plates separate; occurs at divergent plate boundary.
Subduction: the process in which one lithospheric plate slides under another; occurs at convergent plate boundaries.
Supernova: an extremely energetic explosion that occurs at the end of a star’s lifetime.
Tectonic Plate: a large piece of the Earth’s lithosphere; the Earth’s lithosphere is broken into ~15 plates that “float” on the plastic asthenosphere
Transform Boundary: where two plates slide/grind past each other in opposite directions.
Trench: a deep depression at a convergent plate boundary where one plate subducts beneath another plate.
Tsunami: huge waves caused by underwater earthquakes and volcanoes.
Unit Rate: the relationship between 2 different units or scales, also known as scale factor.
Volcano: an opening in Earth’s crust through which magma rises.
Volume: the amount of space an object takes up; the unit of volume is the milliliter (mL) or cm3 (use mL for liquids and cm3 for solids).
Verbs
Collide: to move in the same direction; to meet head-on; to bump into
Converge: to come together
Convert: to change; to translate
Diverge: to move apart
Model: to translate some aspect of the universe into a physical, visual, or mathematical representation.
Solidify: to become solid (usually through cooling)
Subduct: to go under; to sink beneath
Vary: to change
Converge: to come together
Convert: to change; to translate
Diverge: to move apart
Model: to translate some aspect of the universe into a physical, visual, or mathematical representation.
Solidify: to become solid (usually through cooling)
Subduct: to go under; to sink beneath
Vary: to change
Adjectives
Dense: of high density; crowded; thick; tightly packed
Molten: melted
Plastic: flowing; moving; capable of being made into different shapes
Scaled: to scale; proportional; maintaining the same ratios
Varying: different; changing
Molten: melted
Plastic: flowing; moving; capable of being made into different shapes
Scaled: to scale; proportional; maintaining the same ratios
Varying: different; changing