Earth's spheres
the regions of the earth occupied by living organisms
BIOSPHERE
Wegener’s hypothesis that Earth’s continents were joined as a single landmass
CONTINENTAL DRIFT
Movement of weathered materials from one location to another
Type of boundary associated with earthquakes; two plates move horizontally past each other
Bowl-shaped depression that forms around the central vent at the summit of a volcano.
The rock cycle exists in this sphere
LITHOSPHERE/GEOSPHERE
Type of boundary where two of Earth’s tectonic plates are moving toward each other
CONVERGENT
process that breaks down and changes rocks on or near Earth’s surface
WEATHERING
Point on Earth’s surface directly above the focus of an earthquake
EPICENTER
molten/melted rock that reaches the Earth’s surface
LAVA
This sphere provides the driving force for cloud formation
HYDROSPHERE
An unusually hot area fed by a plume in Earth’s mantle, which creates a chain of volcanoes as the plates move above them.
HOT SPOT
the final stage of the erosional process in which the movement of transported materials slows and they are dropped in another location.
DEPOSITION
Point of the initial fault rupture where an earthquake originates that usually lies at least several kilometers beneath Earth’s surface
FOCUS
Ocean where 75% of the world's volcanoes are located
PACIFIC OCEAN
This sphere is responsible for keeping the planet sustainably warm and inhabitable
ATMOSPHERE
Process by which one tectonic plate slips beneath another tectonic plate.
SUBDUCTION
These are two main agents of erosion
WATER AND WIND
Record produced by a seismometer that can provide individual tracking of each type of seismic wave.
SEISMOGRAM
A substance’s internal resistance to flow.
VISCOSITY
This process is an interaction between the biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere that gas exchange between plants and air
TRANSPIRATION
Plates pull apart and create a crack in the ocean floor, where magma fills the space between. When magma spreads outward, it creates a mid-ocean ridge and new crust.
Two main types of weathering
CHEMICAL, MECHANICAL
Common scale used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake
Intrusive or extrusive rock formed when hot magma cools and crystalizes (hardens).
IGNEOUS ROCK