“Ch. 3 Key Terms.

Question 1

geosphere

Answer 1

the solid part of the Earth that consists of all rock, as well as the soils and loose rocks on Earth’s surface

Question 2

crust

Answer 2

the Earth’s thin outer layer composed almost entirely of light elements and is 5 km to 70 km thick

Question 3

mantle

Answer 3

the layer of rock below the surface, makes up 64% of the mass of the Earth and is about 2,900 km thick

Question 4

core

Answer 4

Earth’s innermost layer, composed of the densest elements

Question 5

lithosphere

Answer 5

the solid, outer layer of the Earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle

Question 6

asthenosphere

Answer 6

the solid, plastic layer of the mantle beneath the lithosphere that flows very slowly and allows tectonic plates to move

Question 7

tectonic plate

Answer 7

huge pieces of the lithosphere

Question 8

erosion

Answer 8

the removal and transport of surface material

Question 9

seismic wave

Answer 9

the waves that travel through Earth’s interior during an earthquake

Question 10

fault

Answer 10

a break in the Earth’s crust along which blocks of the crust slide relative to one another

Question 11

earthquake

Answer 11

vibrations of the Earth’s crust caused by slippage along a fault

Question 12

magnitude

Answer 12

the measure of the energy released by an earthquake

Question 13

tsunami

Answer 13

large waves caused by an earthquake

Question 14

volcano

Answer 14

a mountain built from magma that rises from the Earth’s interior to its surface