CH 3 key terms Flashcards
geosphere
any of the almost spherical concentric regions of matter that make up the earth and its atmosphere, as the lithosphere and hydrosphere.
hydrosphere
all the waters on the earth’s surface, such as lakes and seas, and sometimes including water over the earth’s surface, such as clouds.
crust
the tough outer part of a loaf of bread.
mantle
the region of the earth’s interior between the crust and the core, believed to consist of hot, dense silicate rocks (mainly peridotite)
core
the dense central region of a planet, especially the nickel–iron inner part of the earth.
lithosphere
the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.
asthenosphere
the upper layer of the earth’s mantle, below the lithosphere, in which there is relatively low resistance to plastic flow and convection is thought to occur.
tectonic plate
describing the large-scale motion of the plates making up Earth’s lithosphere
chemical
a compound or substance that has been purified or prepared, especially artificially
weathering
the process of wearing or being worn by long exposure to the atmosphere
erosion
the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents.
atmosphere
the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet.
troposphere
the lowest region of the atmosphere, extending from the earth’s surface to a height of about 3.7–6.2 miles (6–10 km), which is the lower boundary of the stratosphere.
stratosphere
the layer of the earth’s atmosphere above the troposphere, extending to about 32 miles (50 km) above the earth’s surface (the lower boundary of the mesosphere).
ozone
colorless unstable toxic gas with a pungent odor and powerful oxidizing properties, formed from oxygen by electrical discharges or ultraviolet light