Earth Structures Vocab

Question 1

geosphere

Answer 1

Earth’s entire solid body

Question 2

hydrosphere

Answer 2

All water on Earth-freshwater, saltwater, groundwater; 70% of earth is covered in water

Question 3

biosphere

Answer 3

All organisms on Earth

Question 4

atmosphere

Answer 4

Layer of gases surrounding Earth; 70% nitrogen

Question 5

density

Answer 5

amount of mass in a given space

Question 6

crust

Answer 6

surface of Earth; oceanic and continental; made of least dense material

Question 7

lithosphere

Answer 7

uppermost mantle, continental crust and oceanic crust

Question 8

asthenosphere

Answer 8

plastic like which allows for lithospheric plates to “float” on it

Question 9

magnetosphere

Answer 9

blocks cosmic rays from the Sun

Question 10

core

Answer 10

dense metallic center of Earth

Question 11

mantle

Answer 11

thick middle layer of solid Earth

Question 12

topography

Answer 12

describes shape of a geographic area

Question 13

landform

Answer 13

features formed by processes that shape surface of Earth

Question 14

elevation

Answer 14

height above sea level

Question 15

relief

Answer 15

describes differences in elevation; think of it as flat is low relief

Question 16

plains

Answer 16

low elevation, low relief; most of North America

Question 17

plateaus

Answer 17

high elevation, low relief; located out west in US

Question 18

mountains

Answer 18

high elevation, high relief; located on east and west coast of US