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the water areas of the Earth, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water
what is Hydrosphere?
thick middle layer of the Earth’s interior structure consisting of hot rock that is dense but flexible
what is Mantle?
process by which oceanic plates dive beneath continental plates, often causing mountains to form on land
what is Subduction?
process of cracking that occurs when the folded land cannot be bent any further
what is Faulting?
the process of converting liquid into vapor, or gas
what is Evaporation?
uppermost layer of the Earth that includes the crust, continents, and ocean basins
what is Lithosphere?
outer layer of the Earth, a hard rocky shell forming Earth’s surface
what is Crust?
slow process in which an oceanic plate slides under a continental plate, creating debris that can cause continents to grow outward
what is Accretion?
chemical or physical processes that break down rocks into smaller pieces
what is Weathering?
the process of excess water vapor changing into liquid water when warm air cools
what is Condensation?
a thin layer of gasses that surrounds the Earth
what is Atmosphere?
the theory that the continents were once joined and then slowly drifted apart
what is Continental drift?
slow process in which an oceanic plate slides under a continental plate, creating debris that can cause continents to grow outward
what is Accretion?
the movement of weathered rock and material by wind, glaciers, and moving water
what is Erosion?
moisture that falls to the Earth as rain, sleet, hail, or snow
what is Precipitation?
the part of the Earth where life exists
what is Biosphere?
the term scientists use to describe the activities of continental drift and magma flow, which create many of Earth’s which create many of Earth’s physical features
what is Plate tectonics?
a bend in layers of rock, sometimes caused by plate movement
what is Fold?
piles of rocky debris left by melting glaciers
what is Moraine?
the removal of salt from seawater to make it usable for drinking and farming
what is Desalination?
part of a continent that extends out underneath the ocean
what is Continental shelf?
molten rock that is located below Earth’s surface
what is Magma?
a crack or break in Earth’s crust
what is Fault?
regular movement of Earth’s water from ocean to air to ground and back to the ocean
what is Water cycle?
underground water-bearing layers of porous rock, sand, or gravel
what is Aquifer?