9th Grade Earth Science Final Exam – Flashcards
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Earth Science
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the science that focuses on planet Earth and its place in the universe
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Geology
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rocks and the structure of the earth
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Oceanology
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The study of the Earth's oceans
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Meteorology
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the scientific study of climate and weather patterns
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Astronomy
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the study of the moon, stars, and other objects in space
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Atmosphere
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the envelope of gases surrounding any celestial body
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Core
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the central part of the Earth
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Mantle
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the layer of the earth between the crust and the core
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Crust
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the outer layer of the Earth
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Topographic Map
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a map that shows the surface features of an area, shows surface features of an area such as mountains, valleys, plains, and plateaus by using contour lines to show changes in elevation
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Contour Lines
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lines that show elevation, relief and slope on a topographic map
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Element
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a pure substance made of only one kind of atom
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Atomic Number
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the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom
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Mineral
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a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition
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Streak
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the color of a mineral's powder
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Luster
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the way in which a mineral reflects light
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Mohl's Scale
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a scale ranking ten minerals from softest to hardest; used in testing the hardness of minerals
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Cleavage
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A mineral's ability to split easily along flat surfaces
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Fracture
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break into pieces
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Density
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Mass/volume
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Igneous Rock
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A type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or below the surface
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Sedimentary Rock
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A type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together
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Metamorphic Rock
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A type of rock that forms from an existing rock that is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions
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Rock Cycle
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a series of processes on the surface and inside Earth that slowly changes rocks from one kind to another
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Magma
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molten rock beneath the Earth's surface
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Lava
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magma that reaches the earth's surface
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Weathering
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The breaking down of rocks and other materials on the Earth's surface.
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Intrusive Igneous Rocks
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Are formed slowly by magma below the surface of the earth. They will be coarse grained, as they take longer to cool, so their crystals will be larger. (Intrusive-> Inside)
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Extrusive Igneous Rocks
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Are formed by lava above the surface of the earth. They will be fine-grained, as their crystals cool very quickly above ground. (Extrusive-> Expel)
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Erosion
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condition in which the earth's surface is worn away by the action of water and wind
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Deposition
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Process in which sediment is laid down in new locations
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Renewable Resource
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any natural resource (as wood or solar energy) that can be replenished naturally with the passage of time
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Nonrenewable Resource
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a resource that cannot be reused or replaced easily (ex. gems, iron, copper, fossil fuels)
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Fossil Fuel
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a nonrenewable energy resource formed from the remains of organisms that lived long ago; examples include oil, coal, and natural gas
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Hydroelectric Power
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Electricity generated by flowing water
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Geothermal Energy
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energy derived from the heat in the interior of the earth
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Global Warming
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an increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere (especially a sustained increase that causes climatic changes)
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Recycling
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the act of processing used or abandoned materials for use in creating new products
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Conservation
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protection of natural resources
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Compost
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mixture of decaying organic matter used as fertilizer; V: put or make compost
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Water Cycle
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The continuous movement of water from the ocean to the atmosphere to the land and back to the ocean
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Zone of Saturation
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The lower zone where water accumulates between small rock particles.
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Porosity
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the property of being porous
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Permeability
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ability of rock or soil to allow water to flow through it
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Aquifer
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An underground formation that contains groundwater
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Ice Age
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Period of time when huge sheets of ice covered much of the earth's land, formed from ocean water, leaving ocean levels lower than they are now which exposed dry land that connected the continents.
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Earthquake
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shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane of from volcanic activity
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Epicenter
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the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake
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Seismograph
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a measuring instrument for detecting and measuring the intensity and direction and duration of movements of the ground (as an earthquake)
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Tsunami
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a huge destructive wave (especially one caused by an earthquake)
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Continental Drift
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the gradual movement and formation of continents (as described by plate tectonics)
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Pangaea
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the super continent where all the continents were once joined
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Plate Tectonics
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a theory stating that the earth's surface is broken into plates that move
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Hot Spot
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an area where magma from deep within the mantle melts through the crust above it
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Volcano
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Mountains built from magma that rises from the Earth's interior to the surface.
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Vent
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a fissure in the earth's crust (or in the surface of some other planet) through which molten lava and gases erupt
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Strike Slip Fault
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a type of fault where rocks on either side move past each other sideways with little up or down motion
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Radiocarbon Dating
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a scientific method for determining the age of once living things by measuring the amount of carbon 14 remaining
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Radiometric Dating
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the process of measuring the absolute age of geologic material by measuring the concentrations of radioactive isotopes and their decay products
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Mammal
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a warm-blooded vertebrate with hair or fur and females produce milk to feed their young
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Sonar
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a measuring instrument that sends out an acoustic pulse in water and measures distances in terms of the time for the echo of the pulse to return
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Seafloor Spreading
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The process that creates new sea floor as plates move away from each other at the mid-ocean ridges
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Salinity
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a measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid
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Photosynthesis
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process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches
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Food Chain
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(ecology) a community of organisms where each member is eaten in turn by another member
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Wave Height
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the vertical distance from the crest of a wave to the trough
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Wave Length
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the length from one crest to another
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Tide
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the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
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Ozone
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a form of oxygen that has three oxygen atoms in each molecule instead of two. protects us from dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the sun
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Greenhouse Effect
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natural situation in which heat is retained in Earth's atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other gases
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Summer Solstice
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-June 21st -Sun farthest north -longest day of the year -highest in the sky (if in northern hemisphere)
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Winter Solstice
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-Dec. 1st -Sun farthest south -shortest day -lowest in the sky
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Autumnal Equinox
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September 22-23, sun is directly overhead the equator at noon, 12 hour daylight/12 hour night, first day of fall, sun's rays most directly strike the equator, Earth's tilt points at right angle to the sun
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Spring Equinox
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March 20th or 21st in the Northern Hemisphere, when both hemispheres receive 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness
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Precipitation
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Rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground
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Evaporation
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the process by which water changes from liquid form to an atmospheric gas
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Condensation
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The process by which a gas changes to a liquid
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Humidity
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the amount of moisture in the air
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Dew Point
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The temperature at which condensation begins
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Front
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The boundary between two air masses
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Jet Stream
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a high-speed high-altitude airstream blowing from west to east near the top of the troposphere
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Trade Winds
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Prevailing winds that blow northeast from 30 degrees north latitude to the equator and that blow southeast from 30 degrees south latitude to the equator
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Tornado
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a rapidly whirling, funnel-shaped cloud that reaches down from a storm cloud to touch Earth's surface
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Hurricane
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tropical storm with violent wind and heavy rain
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Tropical Zone
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warm climate zone that receives direct or nearly direct sunlight year round
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Temperate Zone
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moderate climate zone between the polar zones and the tropics
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Polar Zone
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cold climate zone where the sun's rays strike Earth at a very low angle
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Rotation
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spinning of Earth on its imaginary axis, which takes about 24 hours to complete and causes day and night to occur
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Revolution
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Earth's yearly orbit around the Sun
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Solar Eclipse
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Occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth and casts a shadow over part of Earth
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Lunar Eclipse
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the blocking of sunlight to the moon that occurs when earth is directly between the sun and the moon
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Phases of the Moon
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New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, Waning Crescent
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Asteroid
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a piece of rock or metal made up of material similar to that which formed the planets; mostly found in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
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Comet
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a ball of frozen dust and rock that orbits the sun and has a tail that glows
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Meteor
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A streak of light in the sky produced by the burning of a meteoroid in Earth's atmosphere.
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Sunspot
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a cooler darker spot appearing periodically on the sun's photosphere
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Constellation
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A group of stars that form a pattern in the sky
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Big Bang Theory
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the theory that the universe originated 20 billion years ago from the cataclysmic explosion of a small mass of matter at extremely high density and temperature
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Galaxy
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A large group of stars, nebulas, gases, dust particles and planets held together by gravity.
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Black Hole
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a region of space resulting from the collapse of a star
