Plate Tectonics
Define Plate Tectonics
Theory that views Earth's crust as divided into more than a dozen rigid, slow moving parts
Define Weathering
Process by which a rock (or other formation) is broken down
Land completely surrounded by water
Island
Define Pollution
Introduction of Harmful Chemicals
A deep valley with very steep sides - often carved from earth by a river
Canyon
Define Continental Shelf
Edge of a continent
Define Erosion
The movement of rock or broken down pieces of rock from one place and depositing them in another.
A low place between mountains.
3 types of Pollution
Water, Air, Land
The thinnest layer of Earth.
Crust
Define Continental Drift
Theory that plates are moving very slowly and have been for millions of years
3 types of Erosion
Water, Wind, Glacial
Land surrounded on three sides by water
Peninsula
3 main fossil fuel contributors to pollution
Coal, Oil, Natural Gas
Term for nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrocarbons that react with sunlight
Smog
Define Fault
Places where masses have been broken apart and moved away from each other
3 types of Weathering
Mechanical, Chemical, Biological
A long narrow sea inlet that is bordered by steep cliffs.
Fjord
What happened in the Gulf of Mexico in April of 2010?
Oil Spill
Name of the Earthquake that was recorded in North Dakota in 1968.
Huff Earthquake
Define Rift Valley
A place where the crust has stretched and broken
What type of weathering would a rock disintegrating be an example of?
Chemical Weathering
A narrow strip of land connecting two larger land masses. It has water on both sides.
Isthmus
The chemical build up of each level of the food chain.
bioaccumulation
What is the scale that most seismologists prefer?
Moment Magnitude Scale