Geology Flashcards
Inner core
The middle of Earth. Made of solid iron and nickel, very hot.
Outer core
Surrounds the inner core. Made of liquid iron and nickel.
Mantle
Made of hot, melted rock called magma. Widest layer. Surrounds the outer core.
Crust
The surface we live on. Made of hard rock that floats on the mantle’s magma.
Tectonic plates
Solid slabs of rock that make up Earth’s crust. Float on the magma below, moving gradually over thousands/millions of years.
Divergent boundaries
Tectonic plates move away from each other.
Convergent boundaries
Tectonic plates move towards each other and meet.
Convection currents
The cause of movements in tectonic plates. Happens because of difference in temperature: warm material rises while heavier cool material sinks.
Volcano
Made when magma rises to the Earth’s surface through cracks in the crust slowly building a pile of cooled magma.
Atmosphere
A layer of gases that surround our planet made of mostly nitrogen, some oxygen, and small amounts of other gases. Protects us from the sun, keeps the planet warm, and lets us breathe.
Air pressure
Weight of air pressing down on Earth caused by molecules and their movement. The more packed molecules are, the heavier the air pressure.
Seasons
Caused by Earth’s slight tilt, exposing different parts of it to the sun at during different times as it orbits.
Solar system
A system of planets orbiting the sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Mercury
First planet.
Venus
Second planet.
Earth
Third planet.
Mars
Fourth planet.
Jupiter
Fifth planet.
Saturn
Sixth planet.
Uranus
Seventh planet.
Neptune
Eighth planet.
