Seismic Sleuths
What kind of waves do scientists study to learn about Earth’s interior?
Seismic waves
List the layers of the earth in order from the surface to the center.
Crust, Mantle, (Outer & Inner) Core
These carve out landforms as they move across earth's surface, shaping valleys and other land features
glaciers
A gap in the geologic record is called
unconformity
Which seismic waves do the most damage during an earthquake?
surface waves
Which type of seismic wave moves the fastest?
P-waves
What causes tectonic plates to move?
Convection currents in the mantle
What is an example of a destructive geological process?
Erosion, weathering, landslides, etc.
Which law states that older rock layers are below younger ones?
Law of Superposition
What do we call the location beneath Earth's surface where an earthquake starts?
Focus
Which type of seismic wave cannot travel through liquids
S-waves
What forms at a convergent boundary between two continental plates?
Mountains
What causes river meanders?
Erosion and Deposition of sediments
Which law states that intrusions that cut across sedimentary rock layers are younger than the layers they cut across?
Law of Cross-cutting
What is a bend in rock layers called?
Fold
What type of mechanical waves are S-waves?
transverse waves
What happens at a transform plate boundary?
Plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes
The sediment deposited at the front of a glacier is called
terminal moraine
The assumption that processes observed today are similar to those that occurred in the past is called ________.
Uniformitarianism
An area of earth where magma rises through the mantle to eventually form a chain of volcanoes.
hotspot
How did seismic waves help scientists discover that Earth has a liquid outer core?
S-waves don't pass through it, showing it's liquid
What type of boundary can contain trenches?
convergent
What is the term for the process where sediment is dropped or laid down in a new location?
Deposition
What are the characteristics of an index fossil?
Widespread, Short-Lived, Distinctive, & Abundant
Scratches or grooves carved into rock by glaciers are called
bedrock striations