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29 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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orbit |
move around |
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axis |
an imaginary line that runs through Earth's center from north pole to south pole |
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revolution |
complete trip around the sun in 365 1/4 days |
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atmosphere |
the layer of gases that evelope the earth |
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solstice |
beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere |
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equinoxes |
when day and night in both hemispheres are of equal length. 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night time everywhere on Earth |
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climate |
the average weahter conditions in a region or an area over a longer period. |
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rain shadow |
is a region of reduced rainfall on one side of a high mountain occuring on the side of the mountain facing away from the ocean |
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continent |
is a large continous mass of land |
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tectonic |
Earth's rigid crust is made up of 16 enormous pieces |
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plates |
vary in size and shape |
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fault |
results when the rocks on one side or both sides of a crack in Earth's crust have been moved by forces within Earth |
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earthquakes |
caused by plate movement along fault lines |
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ring of fire |
it stretches for more that 24,000 miles around the Pacific Ocean |
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tsunami |
a giant wave on the ocean floor caused by an undersea earthquake, a volcanic eruption, or coastal landslide |
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weathering |
a process by which Earth's surface is worn away by forces such as wind, rain, chemicals and the movement of ice flowing water |
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erosion |
process by which weathered bits of rock are moved elsewhere by water, wind or ice |
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glacier |
the smallest of the ice masses, moves slowly over time sometimes spreading outward on a land surface |
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plateau |
rises above the surrounding land |
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plains |
can be flat or have a gentle roll and can be found along coastal lines or far inland |
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isthmus |
is a narrow strip of land. Central American country of Panama |
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continental shelf |
is an underwater plain that boarders a continent |
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shelf |
is an underwater plain that boarders a continent |
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trench |
is a long narrow step-sided cut in the ground or on the ocean floor |
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desalination |
a process that separates most of the dissolved chemical elements to produce water that is safe to drink |
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ground water |
is an important source of drinking water and it is used to irrigate crops |
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delta |
is an area where sand, silt, clay or gravel has been deposed at the mouth of a river |
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water cycle |
keeps Earth's water supply in balance |
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evaporation |
is happening all around us at all times |
