Geology Chapter 1 Vocab.

Front 1

scientific method

Back 1

general plan based on methodical observations and experiments.

Front 2

topography

Back 2

the general configuration of varying heights that gives shape to Earth's surface.

Front 3

principle of uniformitarianism

Back 3

the principle that the geologic processes we see in action today have worked in much the same way throughout geological time; that is "the present is the key to the past".

Front 4

seismic waves

Back 4

a ground vibration produced by earthquakes or explosions.

Front 5

core

Back 5

central part of the Earth below depth of 2900 km, comprising of a liquid outer core and a solid inner core; composed of iron and nickel, with minor amounts of some lighter element, such as oxygen or sulfur.

Front 6

mantle

Back 6

region that forms the main bulk of solid earth, between the crust and the core, ranging from depths of about 40 km to 2900 km. It is composed of rocks of intermediate density, mostly compounds of oxygen with magnesium, iron, and silicon.

Front 7

crust

Back 7

thin outer layer of earth, averaging 8 km thick under the oceans to about 40 km thick under continents, consisting of relatively light materials that melt at low temperatures.

Front 8

inner core

Back 8

central part of the earth from a depth of 5150 to 6370 km, composed of iron and nickel. solid metallic sphere with a radius of 1220 km- about 2/3 the size of the moon- suspended within the liquid outer core.

Front 9

outer core

Back 9

a liquid zone- composed of iron, nickel, and minor amounts of some lighter element, such as oxygen or sulfur- below the mantle from a depth of 2890 to 5190 km, that surrounds a solid iron-nickel inner core.

Front 10

earth system

Back 10

all the parts of our planet and all their interactions, taken together.

Front 11

geosystems

Back 11

a specialized subsystem of the earth system that encompasses specific types of terrestrial behavior.

Front 12

climate system

Back 12

geosystem that includes all parts of the earth system and all the interactions among these components needed to describe how climate behaves in space and time.

Front 13

lithosphere

Back 13

strong, rigid outer shell of the earth that encases the asthenosphere and contains the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle down to an average depth of about 100 km and forms the rigid plates.

Front 14

asthenosphere

Back 14

the weak layer of soft but solid rock comprising the lower part of the upper mantle and over which the plates slide.

Front 15

plate tectonic system

Back 15

geosystem that includes all parts of the earth system and all the interactions among these components needed to describe how plate tectonics works in space and time.

Front 16

magnetic field

Back 16

the region of influence of a magnetized body or an electric current.

Front 17

geodynamo

Back 17

the geosystem that sustains Earth's magnetic field, driven by convection in the outer core.

Front 18

fossils

Back 18

trace of an organism of past geologic ages that has been preserved in the crust.