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Vocab List #4

Terms in this set (35)

decay
to rot and break down into small parts (decompose, decomposition)
fossil
preserved parts or traces of animals and plants that lived in the past
imprint
a mark or depression made by pressure
model
a limited representation of something that can help us understand its structure or how it works
sediment
small pieces of rock
weathering
the breakdown of rock into smaller particles from the effects of wind, water, and ice (weather, weathered)
canyon
a deep, narrow valley formed by the erosion of sand due to moving water
delta
a landform at the mouth of a river where sediments are deposited as the river empties into the ocean
deposition
the depositing (dropping) of sediment in a new place (deposit, deposited)
erosion
the movement of weathered material by wind, water, or ice (erode, eroded)
glacier
a slowly moving mass or river of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow and ice
landform
a natural non-living feature on Earth's surface, such as a mountain, hill, dune, canyon, or valley
sand dune
a hill of sand formed by the wind blowing and moving sand
valley
a low area of land between hills or mountains, typically with a river or stream flowing through it, and can be V-shaped or U-shaped depending on how it was formed
cementation
the process of minerals sticking or cementing sediments together to form sedimentary rock
coal
a natural resource produced from the remains of once living plants buried under layers of sediment for millions of years
compaction
the process of squeezing or pressing sediments together to form sedimentary rock
fossil fuels
a fuel that formed from the decayed remains of ancient plants and animals (coal, petroleum, natural gas, and propane)
natural gas
a flammable gas produced from the remains of once living organisms buried under layers of sediment for millions of years and found near oil deposits
oil
a flammable liquid produced from the remains of once living organisms buried under layers of sediment deep under the ocean for millions of years
organic material (matter)
waste and remains of once living organisms
pressure
force of objects pushing on other objects
sedimentary rock
rock made from the deposit of sediments or organic material that is compressed together over time with heat and pressure
alternative energy
any energy resource that is different from the commonly used fossil fuels
biofuels
fuels, such as ethanol, made from plants, decomposing plant and animal tissues, or animal wastes
energy
the ability to do work
generate
to produce something or cause something to happen
geothermal energy
the energy that comes from transforming the natural heat inside the Earth into a usable form such as electricity
hydroelectric energy (hydropower)
the energy that comes from transforming moving water into a useful form such as electricity
natural resource
something found in nature that is used to meet our needs
non-renewable resource
a resource from Earth that cannot be replaced within a fairly short amount of time, such as fossil fuels
pollution
materials introduced in an environment that cause damage, discomfort, or instability
renewable resource
a resource from Earth that can be replaced in a fairly short amount of time, or can be used over and over
solar energy
the energy that comes from transforming sunlight into a useful form such as electricity
wind energy
energy that comes from transforming moving air into a useful form such as electricity
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