Definitions Flashcards
Crust
The outermost shell of Earth.
Mantel
The mostly-solid bulk of Earth’s interior.
Outer Core
The layer surrounding the inner core.
Tectonic plates
A massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock.
Conservative plate boundary
Where plates slide past each other in opposite directions
Divergent plate boundary
When plates move away from each other.
Collision plate boundary
When plates collide with each other.
Destructive plate boundary
When one plate slides underneath the other.
Convection currents
When the molten rock in the mantle, act like a conveyor belt for the plates.
Volcano
An opening in Earth’s crust that allows molten rock from beneath the crust to reach the surface.
Earthquake
Shaking and vibration of the Earth’s crust due to movement of the Earth’s plates.
Tsunami
A series of waves caused by earthquakes or undersea volcanic eruptions.
Composite volcano
Made up of alternating layers of lava and ash.
Shield Volcano
A wide volcano with shallowly-sloping sides.
Cyclone
A large scale air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure.
Anticyclone
An area of high atmospheric pressure where the air is sinking.
Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
The region that circles the Earth, near the equator, where the trade winds of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres come together.
Troposphere
Troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere.
Hadley Cell
The low-latitude overturning circulations that have air rising at the equator and air sinking at roughly 30° latitude.
Ferrel Cell
Model of the mid-latitude segment of Earth’s wind circulation.
Primary Effects
Effects resulting directly from the event itself.
Secondary Effects
Effects resulting from the primary effects.
Richter Scale
A measure of earthquake strength.
Aftershocks
Smaller tremors occurring after an earthquake.
