Earth’s Major Systems Lesson 1 and 2 Flashcards
The layer of gases that surround Earth
Atmosphere
Earth’s water,whether found on continents or in oceans,including freshwater in glaciers,lakes,rivers and underground
Hydrosphere
The part of the Earth in which living things exist and interact
Biosphere
The layers of rock,dirt,and soil on Earth, including the mantle, core and crust
Geosphere
Earth’s solid,rocky surface
Crust
The layer of Earth beneath the crust
Mantle
The central part of Earth
Core
The slow movement of the continents over many years
Continental drift
Scientific theory that Earth’s crust is made of moving plates
Tectonic plates
A pattern or crack in the rocks of Earth’s crust where movement can take place
Fault
The atmosphere contains _______________________which plants need it to make food
Carbon dioxide
The __________________protects living things in biosphere
Ozone layer
The ______________influences weather patterns
Geoshpere
A __________scientist who examines rocks to find out about Earth’s history and structure
Geologist
__________________________thought Earth’s continents were a giant jigsaw puzzle
Alfred Wegener
__________________theory describes the lithosphere as being made of huge plates of solid rock
Plate Tectonics
________________is the squeezing or a pushing together of the crust
Compression
When a plate is compressed,the crust is forced upward, producing
Folded mountains
Rocks break down and become
Sediment
Soil forms in layers called
Horizons
_________________is a thin layer of topsoil with little humus
Forest soil
________________is sandy and does not have much humus
Desert soil
_______________________is rich in humus,which provides nutrients for crops and holds water so minerals are not washed deep into the ground
Grassland and Prairie Soil
