Vocabulary Flashcards
Volcanoes
Mountains with openings in Earth’s crust though which magma,gases, and ash reach Earth’s surface
Landslide
Mass movements of land due to gravity.
Seamounts
Volcanoes on the ocean floor.
Volcanic Islands
Seamounts that rise above the ocean surface. Ex: Hawaii or Japan
Earthquake
Vibrations on Earth’s surface caused by sudden movement in Earth
Plates
Gigantic slabs of rock that makes up the Earth’s crust
Fault
The cracks in the earth’s crust where the plates come together
Tsunami
A huge wave usually caused by a earthquake under the ocean
Flood
When large amounts of water cover land that is usually dry
Erosion
The movements of sediments and soil by wide,water,ice, and gravity
Constructive
Process that creates landform
Destructive
Process that destroy landforms
Weathering
Process that brake down rocks at or near the surface of the earth. It can be either physical or Chemical
Deposition
The dropping or depositing of sediments by water or wind or ice
Continental shelf
The part of the continent located under the water
Continental slope
The steep slope where the continental shelf drops to the bottom of the ocean floor
Mid-ocean Ridge
On the bottom if the ocean there is a central Ridge, or mountain range that divides the ocean floor into two parts. These under water volcanic mountains are known as the mid-ocean Ridge
Rift Zone
The center the highest part of the mid-ocean Ridge. Under water volcanic activity that adds mountains to either side of the mid-ocean Ridge occurs at the rife zone
Trenches
The deepest part of the ocean basin and are deeper than any valley found on land
Ocean Basin
Made up of low hills and flat plains located on either side mid-ocean Ridge
Abyssal plain
The flat area of the ocean basin.
Ocean Shore Zone
The area where the ocean meets the land
Beaches
Shorelines made of land
Shoreline
Area where the land meets the ocean
Barrier Island
Island with sandy beaches
Estuary
The land where a river meets an ocean
Inlets
The water-filled spaces between the barrier islands
Waves
Repeated movement of water
Crest
The highest part of the wave
Trough
The lowest part of the wave
Current
Flowing streams of water that move continually through the ocean in a specific direction
Warm surface currents
Currents driven by Earths rotation from the tropics to higher latitudes
Cold surface currents
Currents driven by Earths rotation from the polar latitudes toward the equator
Tide
The regular rise and fall of waters in oceans and seas. Tides are caused by the pull of the moons gravity on Earth
Natural resources
Are materials that people can take and use from the Earth
Conservation
The wise use of natural resources
Pollution
Anything that harms the natural environment
