Earth Science Flashcards

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1
Q

Lithosphere

A

The rough outer part of the earth, consisting also the upper most of the mantle.

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2
Q

Asthenosphere

A

The upper layer of the earths mantle, located below the lithosphere, plastic flow and convection is thought to occur

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3
Q

Core

A

The core is made primarily of iron and nickel and has two parts, an inner solid core and an outer liquid core

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4
Q

Seismic waves

A

waves of energy that travel through the Earth’s crust, caused by earthquakes

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5
Q

Continental drift

A

movement of the plates of the Earth’s crust in relation to each other

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6
Q

Pangaea

A

a super-continent that existed about 225 million years ago. All of the landmasses that existed at this time were joined together to form this super-continent.

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7
Q

Panthalassa

A

The vast sea surrounding the supercontinent of Pangaea

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8
Q

Plate tectonics

A

the theory concerning the movement of the continental plates

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9
Q

Convection current

A

circular movement that occurs when warmer, less dense fluid particles rise and cooler, denser fluid particles sink

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10
Q

Continental crust

A

the plates of the Earth’s crust that make up the land

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11
Q

Oceanic crust

A

one of the types of crust that makes up the Earth’s outer layer. Oceanic crust is thinner than continental crust and made up of dense, heavy rocks such as basalt.

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12
Q

Boundaries

A

the edges of tectonic plates

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13
Q

Subduction

A

process in which two tectonic plates push against each other, and oceanic crust sinks below the less dense continental crust

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14
Q

Destructive plate boundaries

A

Destructive plate boundaries: a convergent boundary where two plates collide

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15
Q

Hotspots

A

a localised place where an activity occurs

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16
Q

Mantle

A

thick layer inside the Earth, below the crust. Most of the mantle is solid rock, although the upper part is molten rock called magma.

17
Q

Conservative plate boundaries

A

boundaries between sliding plates, like the San Andreas Fault in the United States

18
Q

Laurasia

A

one of the two smaller continents created when the supercontinent Pangaea broke apart about 200 million years ago

19
Q

Gondwanaland

A

one of the two smaller continents created when the supercontinent Pangaea broke apart about 200 million years ago

20
Q

Tremors

A

vibration on the Earth’s surface caused by an earthquake

21
Q

Epicentre

A

the point on the Earth’s centre directly above the site where an earthquake originates

22
Q

Triangulation

A

finding a location by using at least three different sources of detection

23
Q

Seismograph

A

an instrument used to detect and measure the intensity of an earthquake

24
Q

Richter scale

A

a scale that measures the amount of energy released during an earthquake

25
Q

P-waves or Primary waves

A

compression waves that move through the Earth in the same way that sound waves move through air

26
Q

S-Waves

A

the second set of waves to be detected after P-waves. During seismic activity, secondary waves or S-waves travel in the form of transverse waves.

27
Q

Body waves

A

waves that travel through the interior of the Earth; P-waves and S-waves are said to be body waves

28
Q

Surface Waves

A

(or L-waves) earthquake waves which travel only through the Earth’s crust; they are responsible for the majority of an earthquake’s destructive power

29
Q

Seismologists

A

a scientist who studies earthquakes

30
Q

Meltdown

A

the melting of a nuclear-reactor core as a result of a serious nuclear accident

31
Q

Tsunamis

A

a powerful ocean wave triggered by an undersea earth movement

32
Q

Volcanos

A

natural opening in the Earth’s crust connected to areas of molten rock deep inside the crust

33
Q

Magma

A

a very hot mixture of molten rock and gases, just below the Earth’s surface, that has come from the mantle

34
Q

Lava

A

mixture of molten rock and gases that has reached the Earth’s surface from a volcano

35
Q

Volcanic Bombs

A

large rock fragment that is blown out of erupting volcanoes; also known as a lava bomb

36
Q

Extinct volanos

A

describes a volcano that has not erupted for thousands of years and is effectively dead

37
Q

Active volcanos

A

describes a volcano that is erupting or has recently erupted

38
Q

Dormant

A

describes a volcano that has not erupted for more than 20 years but is not considered extinct