A LIVING PLANET

1. A LIVING PLANET THE EARTH INSIDE AND OUT BODIES OF WATER & LANDFORMS INTERNAL FORCES EXTERNAL FORCES

2. Continents – landmasses above water on the earth. Solar System – consists of the sun and nine known planets and other celestial bodies. THE EARTH INSIDE AND OUT

3. Core – the center of the earth; made up of iron and nickel. Mantel – layer surrounding the Core; most of the earth’s mass. Magma – molten rock. Crust – thin layer of rock on the earth’s surface. THE EARTH INSIDE AND OUT

4. Atmosphere –the layer of gases surrounding the earth. Lithosphere – includes the crust and upper-most mantle. Hydrosphere – the water on the earth. Biosphere – the part of the earth where the plants and animals live. THE EARTH INSIDE AND OUT

5. Continental Drift – the continents have been shifting over millions of years – Pangaea. THE EARTH INSIDE AND OUT

6. Hydrologic Cycle – aka the water cycle – the continuous circulation of water on the earth. Drainage Basin – an area drained by a major river and its tributaries. Ground Water – the water held in the pores of rock. Water Table – the level at which rock is saturated with water. BODIES OF WATER & LANDFORMS

7. Landforms – naturally formed features on the earth’s surface. Continental shelf – the earth’s surface from the edge of the continents to the deep part of the ocean floor. BODIES OF WATER & LANDFORMS

8. Relief – the difference in elevation of a landform from its lowest point to its highest point. Topography – the combination of the surface shape and composition of the landforms and their distribution in a region. BODIES OF WATER & LANDFORMS

9. Tectonic Plate – enormous moving pieces of the earth’s lithosphere. Fault – a fracture in the earth’s crust. Earthquake – a violent movement of the earth. INTERNAL FORCES

10. Seismograph – a special device that detects earthquakes. (Richter Scale) Epicenter – the location above the focus where the earthquake begins. Volcano – magma that pours out of a crack in the earth’s surface. (lava) Tsunami – a giant wave in the ocean; maybe cause by an earthquake. INTERNAL FORCES

11. Ring of Fire – a zone around the rim of the Pacific Ocean; many active volcanoes. INTERNAL FORCES

12. Weathering – physical or chemical processes that change the characteristics of the rock near the earth’s surface. Sediment – smaller pieces of rock created by weathering. Mechanical Weathering – process that break rock into smaller pieces. Chemical Weathering – rock is changed into a new substance because of a chemical reaction. EXTERNAL FORCES

13. Erosion – occurs when weathered material is moved by the action of wind, water, ice, or gravity. Delta – when a river enters the ocean, the sediment deposited in a fan-like landform. Loess – windblown silt and clay sediment. Glacier – a large, long-lasting mass of ice. Glaciation – the changing of a landform by slowly moving glaciers. Moraine – hills formed by glaciers. Humus – the texture of the soil and the amount of organic materials. EXTERNAL FORCES