Earth Science - Our Earth Flashcards
The central part of the earth that is made of solid iron and nickel.

Inner core

The largest layer of the earth.

Mantle

The outer most layer of the Earth.

Crust

Center part of the Earth that is liquid iron and nickel

Outer core

The hot, melted rock that is beneath the Earth’s crust.

magma

A break or crack in the earth’s crust

fault

Scientific theory that explains why the sea floor spreads and continents move.

Plate tectonics

Location where two plates collide, or slam into each other.

convergent boundary
Location where two plates move away from each other.

Divergent boundaries
Location where two plates slide past each other.

transform boundary
An opening in the Earth’s crust that allows magma to escape.

volcano
Hot, molten rock that has reached the earth’s surface.

lava
Type of volcano with wide, broad, gently sloping sides, with thinner fluid lava that spreads over a wide area.

shield volcano

A volcano that is built by thick lava thrown high into the air and falls as chunks or cinders.

cinder-cone volcano

A volcano built by layers of ash and cinders between layers of hardened lava. They are very explosive and considered the most dangerous.

Composite volcano

List the layers of the earth from inside to out

inner core, outer core, mantle, crust

A sudden movement in Earth’s crust

earthquake

The place where slipping begins during an earthquake.
Focus

The point on the surface directly above the focus of an earthquake.
epicenter

Measurement of the amount of energy an earthquake releases.
magnitude

Huge waves caused by underwater earthquakes.

tsunami

Layers of gases around the Earth

Atmosphere

Layer of gases closest to Earth’s surface.
troposphere

The condition of the troposphere at a particular time and place.
weather






