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Lithosphere solid rocky outer layer of the earth that includes the crust. Plate tectonics Theory that states the lithosphere is broken into plates that move. Fault crack in the earth's crust along which rock moves. fault boundary when two plates move past each other. spreading boundary when two plates move away from each other. colliding boundary when two plates move toward each other. focus the point along a fault where rock first breaks or moves, causing an earthquake. earthquake the sudden shaking or vibrating of the earth's crust. seismograph instrument that records the strengths of the earth's movements, based on the amount of energy released. Richter scale a scale used to compare the strengths of earthquakes volcano an opening on the surface of the earth through which magma rises. magma melted rock that is beneth the earth's surface. lava melted rock that is above the earth's surface. soil a mixture of weathered rock and decayed plant and animal matter that formed over a long period of time. weathering group of processes that break rocks into smaller pieces. humus dark colored organic matter in soil. topsoil top dark layer of soil that is rich in humus. subsoil the second soil layer that contains dissolved minerals. bedrock the third layer made of partly weathered rock. index fossil a fossil of an organism that existed on Earth for a short time over a large geographic area. Geologic time scale record of Earth's history based on events interpreted from the rock record and fossil evidence. Sedimentary rock formed when particles of other rocks or remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together. Igneous rock formed from the cooling of molten rock. Metamorphic rock formed when an existing rock is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions. Soil profile Topsoil, subsoil and bedrock