Chapter 22 - Earth's interior Vocab
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Created by:
Grimmis223 on February 1, 2012
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31 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Subduction | the process by which ocean crust sinks into the mantle through a trench. |
| Trench | a long, deep depression in the ocean floor where old oceanic crust sinks into the mantle. |
| Divergent Boundary | a boundary at which tectonic plates move away from each other. |
| Convergent Boundary | a boundary at which tectonic plates collide. |
| Earthquake | a movement of Earth's crust that occurs when rocks in the crust suddenly shift, releasing stored energy. |
| Transform Boundary | a boundary at which tectonic plates slide past each other, moving in opposite directions. |
| Fault | a break in the Earth's crust. |
| Focus | the location beneath Earth's surface where an earthquake begins. |
| Epicenter | the point on Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake. |
| P Waves | primary waves; longitudinal waves caused by earthquakes. |
| S Waves | secondary waves; transverse waves caused by earthquakes. |
| Richter Scale | a numerical scale for expressing the magnitude of an earthquake on the basis of seismograph ascillations. |
| Moment Magnitude scale | a logarithmic scale of 1 to 10 ( a successor of the Richter scale) that enables seismologists to compare the energy released by different earthquakes on the basis of the area of the geological fault that ruptured in the quake. |
| Volcano | a mountain that forms when magma reaches the surface. |
| Pipe | a narrow vertical channel through which magma rises to Earth's surface. |
| Vent | an opening in the ground where magma escapes to Earth's surface. |
| Crater | a bowl shaped pit at the top of the central vent in the volcano. |
| Geologist | scientists who study Earth and the processes that have shaped Earth over time. |
| Uniformitarianism | the principle that geologic processes operating today also operated in the past. |
| Crust | the rocky outer layer of Earth. |
| Mantle | a thick layer of hot but solid rock beneath Earth's crust. |
| Core | the dense sphere at Earth's center, made mostly of iron and nickel. |
| Igneous rock | rock that forms from magma or lava |
| Sedimentary rock | rock that forms over time as sediment is squeezed and cemented together. |
| Metamorphic rock | rock that has been changed by temperature, pressure, or reactions with hot water. |
| Rock Cycle | a series of processes in which rocks continuously change from one type to another. |
| Sediment | small, solid pieces of material that comes from rocks or living organisms. |
| Mid - ocean ridge | a chain of underwater mountains. |
| Plate Tectonics | the theory that pieces of Earth's lithosphere, called plates, move about slowly on top of the asthenosphere. |
| Continental Drift | the process in which the continents move slowly across Earth's surface. |
| Pangaea | an ancient super continent formed about 300 million years ago, which later gave rise to today's continents. |
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