Earth/space Science Mid-Term Vocab

Front 1

Igneous rocks

Back 1

rock that forms when magma cools and solidifies

Front 2

S wave

Back 2

a secondary wave, or shear wave; a seismic wave that causes particles of rock to move in a side to side direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wave is traveling; s waves are the second fastest seismic waves and can travel only through solids

Front 3

Subduction zone

Back 3

the region along a plate boundary where one plate moves under another plate

Front 4

Streak

Back 4

the colour of a mineral in powdered form

Front 5

Stratification

Back 5

layering of sedimentary rock

Front 6

Standard Time Zone

Back 6

the synchronization of clouds in different geographical locations within a time zone

Front 7

Spectroscope

Back 7

devices that separate light into different colours or wavelengths

Front 8

Seismograph

Back 8

an instrument that records vibrations in the ground

Front 9

Scientific Method

Back 9

a method of procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century

Front 10

Rock cycle

Back 10

an idealized cycle of processes undergone by rocks in the earth's crust

Front 11

Rift valley

Back 11

a large elongated depression with steep walls formed by the downward displacement of a block of the earth's surface between nearly parallel faults or fault systems

Front 12

Revolution

Back 12

the movement of one object around a center or another object

Front 13

Relief

Back 13

the variations in elevation of an area of the Earth's surface

Front 14

P wave

Back 14

a longitudinal earthquake wave that travels through the interior of the earth and is usually the first conspicuous wave to be recorded by a seismograph

Front 15

Parallel

Back 15

each of the imaginary parallel circles of constant latitude on the Earth's surface

Front 16

Mohs Hardness Scale

Back 16

characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer material

Front 17

Mineralogist

Back 17

a scientist trained in minerology

Front 18

Mineral

Back 18

a solid inorganic substance of natural occurance

Front 19

Mid Atlantic Ridge

Back 19

a very long narrow elevation on the ocean floor that runs all the way from Iceland in the North Atlantic to Bouvet Island in the South Atlantic

Front 20

L wave

Back 20

an earthquake wave that travels around the earth's surface and is usually the third conspicuous wave to reach a seismograph

Front 21

Luster

Back 21

the quality and intensity of light reflected from the surface of a mineral

Front 22

Longitude

Back 22

the angular distance of a place east or west of the prime meridian

Front 23

Lithosphere

Back 23

the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle

Front 24

Latitude

Back 24

the measurement of a part of the earth in relation to the North and south of the earth's equator

Front 25

Laccolith

Back 25

a mass of igneous rock, typically lens shaped, that has been intruded between rock strata causing uplift in the shape of a dome

Front 26

Inorganic

Back 26

not consisting or deriving from living matter

Front 27

Trench

Back 27

a long, narrow ditch

Front 28

Geomagnetic Pole

Back 28

antipodal points where the axis of a best fitting dipole intersects the earth's surface

Front 29

Geology

Back 29

the science that deals with the earth's physical structure and substance, it's history, and the processes that act on it

Front 30

Fossil

Back 30

the remains or impression of a prehistoric organism preserved in petrified form or as a mold or cast in rock

Front 31

Fault Zone

Back 31

a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock, across which there has been significant displacement along the fractures as a result of earth movement

Front 32

Earthquake

Back 32

a sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction as a result of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action

Front 33

Earth Science

Back 33

the branch of science dealing with the physical constitution of the earth and its atmosphere

Front 34

Dike

Back 34

a long wall or embankment built to prevent flooding from the sea

Front 35

Daylight Saving Time

Back 35

time as adjusted to achieve longer evening daylight, especially in summer, by setting the clocks an hour ahead of the standard time

Front 36

Core

Back 36

beneath the mantle, the deepest and hottest layer of the earth

Front 37

Convection

Back 37

the movement caused within a fluid by the tendency of hotter and therefore less dense material to rise, and colder, denser material to sink under the influence of gravity, which consequently results in transfer of heat

Front 38

Contour Line

Back 38

a line on a map joining points of equal height above or below sea level