| A | B |
|---|
| value | the worth, usefulness, or importance of something |
| geology | The study of the origin, history and structure of the solid Earth and the processes that shape it. |
| oceanography | The study of the Earth’s oceans |
| meteorology | The study of the Earth’s atmosphere |
| astronomy | The study of the universe beyond the Earth |
| scientific method | The 5 step process scientists use to solve problems or answer questions. |
| Hypothesis | A prediction or educated guess must be testable. |
| independent variables | Factors in an experiment that is changed by the scientist. |
| dependent variables | Things in an experiment that change in response to the independent variable. |
| controls | Variables in an experiment that scientists keep constant (the same). |
| kilo | 1000 |
| hecto | 100 |
| deka | 10 |
| metric base units | meter, liter, gram |
| deci | .1 |
| centi | .01 |
| milli | .001 |
| atmosphere | Earth's air, which is made up of a thin layer of gases, solids, and liquids; forms a protective layer around the planet and is divided into five distinct layers. |
| troposphere | Layer of Earth's atmosphere that is closest to the ground, contains 99 percent of the water vapor and 75 percent of the atmospheric gases, and is where clouds and weather occur. |
| ionosphere | Layer of electrically charged particles in the thermosphere that absorbs AM radio waves during the day and reflects them back at night. |
| ozone | Layer of the stratosphere with a high concentration of ozone; absorbs most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. |
| ultraviolet radiation | A type of energy that comes to Earth from the Sun, can damage skin and cause cancer, and is mostly absorbed by the ozone layer. |
| barometer | An instrument used to measure air pressure. |
| mesosphere | The layer of the earth’s atmosphere directly above the stratosphere. |
| Thermosphere | The warmest layer of the atmosphere. |
| exosphere | The outer layer of the thermosphere. |
| density | The amount of mass in a substance in a given volume. |
| air pressure | The pressure caused by a column of air pushing down on an area. |
| Chlorofluorocarbons | Group of chemical compounds used in refrigerators, air conditioners, foam packaging, and aerosol sprays that may enter the atmosphere and destroy ozone. |
| water cycle | The movement of water between the atmosphere and earths surface |
| mist | water that is less than .05 |
| humidity | The amount of water vapor in the air |
| relative humidity | The % of water vapor in the air compared to how much it can hold |
| rain gauge | measures the amount of rainfall |
| condensation | When water vapor becomes liquid water |
| dew point | The temperature where condensation begins |
| precipitation | Any form of water falling from a cloud that reaches the earth |
| drought | A long period of low precipitation |
| psychrometer | Measures humidity |
| pollutants | harful materials in the air, water or soil |
| acid rain | rain that contains more acid than normal |
| electromagnetic waves | a form of energy that can move through the vacuum of space |
| radiation | the direct tranfer of energy by electromagnetic waves |
| infrared radiation | longer wave length than red light |
| ultraviolet radiation | shorter wave lengths than visible light |
| scattering | Why the sky looks blue |
| green house effect | the process by which gas holds heat in the atmosphere |
| temperature | the AVERAGE amount of energy in each particle of a substance |
| thermal energy | the TOTAL amount of energy in the particles in a substance |
| conduction | the direct transfer of heat from one substance to another |
| convection | the tranfer of heat by movement in a liquid. |
| convection currents | the upward movement of warm air and the downward movement of cool air |
| wind | the horizontal movement of air from high pressure and low pressure |
| anemometer | measures wind speed |
| wind chill factor | the increased cooling wind can cause |
| local winds | blow over short distances |
| sea breeze | blows towards land |
| land breeze | blows towards body of water |
| global winds | blow over large distances |
| global convection currents | caused by differences in temperature between the equator and the poles |
| coriolis effect | causes wind to bend to the right in the north and bend to the left in the south |
| doldrums | little to no wind near the equator |
| horse latitudes | located 30 north and south of the equator where winds die down. |
| trade winds | winds created by a difference in pressure between the horse latitudes and the equator |
| prevailing westerlies | between 30 and 60 degrees north and south of the equator. play an important role in U.S. weather |
| stratus clouds | are flat gray clouds that produce rain. |
| cumulonimbus | are thunder boomers! |
| cumulus | are puffy like cotton. |
| cirrus | are light and feathery and usually mean good weather. |
| fog | a form of stratus clouds that are near the ground |
| rain | water that is .5 mm or larger |
| drizzle | water that is .05-.5 in size |
| evaporation | liquid water turning into water vapor |
| wave | the movement of energy through a body of water |
| nodules | lumps of metal that form around pieces of shell |
| wave height | the vertical distance between crest and trough |
| frequency | the number of waves that pass a point in a given time |
| longshore drift | the movement of sand along the shore |
| neap tide | a tide with the least difference betwwen high and low tides |
| rip current | a rush of water thar flows rapidly back to sea from the shore |
| groin | a wall that is used to slow beach erosion |
| tide | the daily rise and fall of the earth's water along coastlines |
| spring tide | twice a month the greatest distance between high and low tides |
| tsunami | a giant wave usually caused by an earthquake |
| salinity | the total amount of disolved salts in a sample of water |
| submersible | an underwater vehicle that resists ocean pressure |
| current | a stream of moving water that flows through the ocean |
| climate | the pattern of temp. and precipitation over a long period of time for a given area. |
| El nino | an unusual climate event that changes weather patterns and prevents upwelling |
| upwelling | the movement of cold water towards the shore that brings nutrients to sea life. |
| sonar | Sound Navigation And Ranging |
| continental shelf | Begins at the shore and reaches to the edge of the continental slope |
| continental slope | the steep edge of the continental shelf that drastically drops to the bottom of the ocean floor |
| abyssal plain | the long flat bottom of the deep ocean floor |
| mid-ocean ridge | a continuous range of underwater mountains that surrounds the earth. |
| divergent boundaries | where plates spread apart |
| convergent boundaries | where plates come together |
| trench | the deepest part of the ocean found at a convergent boundary |
| seafloor spreading | where plates spread apart at divergent boundaries |
| neritic zone | the zone from low tide to the edge of the continental shelf |
| open-ocean zone | beyond the edge of the continental shelf |
| Plankton | tiny plants and animals that float |
| nekton | free swiiming animals |
| benthos | animals that live on the ocean floor |
| food web | the feeding relationships that exist in a habitat |
| intertidal zone | the zone between high and low tides |
| estuaries | coastal inlets or bays where river water and ocean water mix |
| atoll | a ring shaped reef |
| bioluminescence | light produced by living things |
| hydrothermal vent | hot water that rises from cracks in the deep ocean floor |
| aquaculture | the farming of organisms that live in water |
| wave length | the horizontal distance between crests |
| Nuclear fusion | hydrogen crashing together to make helium |
| Helium | The byproduct of Nuclear fusion in the Sun's core. |
| Gravity and inertia | What keeps the sun in orbit? |
| Gravity and fusion | What keeps the sun's shape? |
| Heat and light | What does Earth get from the sun? |
| Photosphere | the surface of the sun |
| Hydrogen | is the most abundant gas in the sun |
| Red giant | when the sun begins to die it will turn into a ____. |
| medium | What size is our sun? |
| core | The inner most layer of the sun where Nuclear Fusion occurs. |
| Chromosphere | The inner thicker layer of the Sun's atmosphere. |
| Carona | The outer layer of the Sun's atmosphere. |
| Covection zone | The layer of the Sun that lies between the radiation zone and the photosphere, consisting of large cells of rising and sinking gases. |
| eclipse | An event where a heavenly body or its shadows blocks the view of another body. |
| prominence | An enormous formation of gas that rises above the surface of the sun. |
| radiation zone | The area of the Sun that surrounds the core. |
| Sunspots | Areas of lower temperature on the surface of the sun. |
| Solar flare | A sudden release of energy that sends hot gas into the Sun's atmosphere. |
| Solar wind | A large blast of hot air caused by flares and other events on the Sun's surface. |
| 8 1/2 | How many minutes does it take light from the sun to reach earth? |
| terrestrial | earth |
| greenhouse effect | The trapping of heat by the atmosphere |
| gas giants | The first four outer planets that are massiveand do not contain solid surfaces. |
| ring | a thin disk of ice and rock that surrounds the gas giants. |
| Jupiter | Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto surround this planet. |
| Ganymede | The largest moon in the solar system. |
| Mars | Where probes have successfully explored. |
| Saturn | has the most spectacular rings of any planet. |
| Neptune | a cold blue planet. |
| Pluto | smaller than Earth's moon. |
| Mercury | closest planet to the Sun. |
| Venus | has the strongest greenhouse effect. |
| Earth | The living planet |
| Uranus | axis is tilted 90 degrees from vertical |
| Antarctic Circle | 66.5 south |
| Index Contour | darker contour lines that show a specific elevation |
| cardinal directions | north, south, east, west |
| equator | separates the northern and southern hemispheres |
| hemisphere | half a sphere |
| Lambert’s projection | a conic projection that usually maps the middle latitudes. |
| Latitude | parallels |
| Longitude | meridians |
| latitude | lines run east and west |
| latitude | measure north and south |
| longitude | lines run north and south |
| longitude | measures east and west |
| map key | explains symbols on a map |
| map legend | explains symbols on a map |
| Mercator projection | distorts information far to the north and south |
| Tropic of Cancer | 23.5 north |
| Tropic of Capricorn | 23.5 south |
| contour line | shows areas of equal elevation |
| Contour interval | the difference in elevation between contour lines |
| Arctic Circle | 66.5 north |
| Mineral | naturally occuring, inorganic solid, crystal structure, definite chemical composition |
| inorganic | can't form from something previously living |
| crystal | the repeating pattern of a minerals particles |
| fracture | a mineral that breaks apart in an irregular way |
| luster | how light is reflected from a mineral's surface |
| Moh's hardness sclae | ranks ten minerals from softest to hardest |
| cleavage | a mineral that splits easy along flat surfaces |
| Streak | the color of a minerals powder |
| Mineral | naturally occuring, inorganic solid, crystal structure, definite chemical composition |
| alloy | a solid mixture of two or more elements, with at least one being a metal |
| crystal | the repeating pattern of a minerals particles |
| fracture | a mineral that breaks apart in an irregular way |
| luster | how light is reflected from a mineral's surface |
| Moh's hardness sclae | ranks ten minerals from softest to hardest |
| cleavage | a mineral that splits easy along flat surfaces |
| Streak | the color of a minerals powder |
| geode | A hollow rock inside which mineral crystals have grown |
| crystalization | the process by which atoms are arranged to form a crystal structure |
| solution | a mixture in which one substance is disolved into another |
| vein | a narrow deposit of mineral that is very different from the surrounding rock |
| gem stone | a hard colorful mineral that has a brilliant or glassy luster and is valued for its appearance |
| ore | a rock that contains a metal or other economically useful mineral |
| smelting | the process by which ore is melted to separate the useful metal from other elements |
| inorganic | can't form from something previously living |
| compression | squeezes rock until it folds or breaks |
| moment magnitude scale | measures the total energy released by an earthquake |
| Normal fault | where tension pulls rock apart and the fault is at an angle |
| hanging wall | the block of rock above the fault in a normal fault |
| stress | a force that works on rock to change its shape or volume |
| Shearing | stress that pushes a mass of rock in two opposite directions |
| strike slip fault | a fault where rock moves sideways with little up or down motion |
| tension | stretches rock so that it become thinner in the middle |
| syncline | a downward fold in a rock caused by compression |
| anticline | an upward fold in rock caused by compression |
| plateau | a large area of flat land elvated high above sea level |
| Footwall | the rock that lies below the fault |
| Earthquake | the shaking and trembling that results from rock moving beneath the earth's surface |
| Focus | the point under earth's surface where rocks breaks causing an earthquake |
| epicenter | the point on earth directly above the focus |
| P waves | compressand expand like an accordion |
| S waves | Vibrate side to side and up and down |
| surface waves | can roll earth's surface like an ocean wave |
| mercalli scale | rates an earthquake's damage |
| richter scale | measures an earthquakes magnitude |
| magnitude | a number scientists give an earthquake to measure its size |
| seismograph | measures and records seismic waves |
| reverse fault | where compression pushes rock together |
