Earth Science Vocabulary
Weather & Water Cycle
ENERGY FOR WATER CYCLE – Comes from the Sun
EVAPORATION – The process of changing from a liquid to a gas; usually caused by energy from the sun
CONDENSATION – The process of changing from a gas to a liquid; examples are clouds forming and drops forming on soda cans and windows.
PRECIPITATION – Water falling to the Earth’s surface in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow; helps replace water in oceans, lakes and rivers and brings fresh water to organisms to survive
TRANSPIRATION – Process of water vapor leaving a plant and entering the atmosphere
RUNOFF – Water runs back into bodies of water and helps to replace water in oceans, lakes and rivers.
Changes to the Earth's Surface
Rapid -- Fast
Volcano – A mountain made from hardened lava
Magma – melted rock below the Earth’s surface
Lava – magma that flows onto the surface of the Earth; hardens to build up new land
Fault – a crack in the Earth’s crust
Earthquake – the shaking of Earth’s crust caused by large plates of rock underneath the Earth’s surface moving against each other
Landslide – occurs when gravity pulls down land on a slope of a hill
Landforms
Weathering – the breaking down of rock on the surface of the Earth, usually by the force of water, wind or ice
Erosion – the movement of weathered particles by water, wind or ice.
Deposition – the process in which materials that have been eroded are dropped in a new place
Water, Wind and Ice – elements of weather which cause weathering and erosion
Landform – a natural structure found on the Earth such as mountains, deltas and canyons.
Glaciers – A huge piece of ice that slowly moves across the surface of the Earth and erodes and creates new landforms as it moves.
Stalagmites/Stalactites – formations made from water and dissolved minerals that are found in underground caves
Earth’s Resources
sedimentary rock - A type of rock formed by layers of sediments that were squeezed and stuck together over a long time
fossil - The remains or traces of past life found in sedimentary rock
nonrenewable resource - A resource that cannot be readily replaced once it is used
renewable resource - Resources that are replaced as they are used
fossil fuel - A fuel formed from the remains of once-living organisms
Alternative Energy Resources
Solar Energy— energy from the sun • Solar cells can be mounted on roofs of buildings to produce electricity and heat energy.
Hydroelectric Power—energy from water
• Machines inside of dams can change moving water into electrical energy.
Wind Energy—Moving air can turn the blades of windmills. The windmills change the wind energy into electrical energy.
Nuclear Energy—energy that is given off by splitting the nucleus of an atom (uranium)
Geothermal Energy—energy from heat from melted rock deep below the Earth’s surface Biofuels—renewable energy made from biomass (crops, wood, trash, manure)
The Sun, Earth, and Moon System
axis - An imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and its North and South poles
day/night cycle - The Earth rotates counterclockwise around its axis. The side that faces the sun experiences daylight, and the side facing away from the sun experiences nightfall.
rotation - The Earth rotates once every 23 hours and 56 minutes at speeds of over 1,000 miles per hour.
revolution - The Earth goes around the Sun (revolves) once approximately every 365 days.
Weather & Water Cycle
ENERGY FOR WATER CYCLE – Comes from the Sun
EVAPORATION – The process of changing from a liquid to a gas; usually caused by energy from the sun
CONDENSATION – The process of changing from a gas to a liquid; examples are clouds forming and drops forming on soda cans and windows.
PRECIPITATION – Water falling to the Earth’s surface in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow; helps replace water in oceans, lakes and rivers and brings fresh water to organisms to survive
TRANSPIRATION – Process of water vapor leaving a plant and entering the atmosphere
RUNOFF – Water runs back into bodies of water and helps to replace water in oceans, lakes and rivers.
Changes to the Earth's Surface
Rapid -- Fast
Volcano – A mountain made from hardened lava
Magma – melted rock below the Earth’s surface
Lava – magma that flows onto the surface of the Earth; hardens to build up new land
Fault – a crack in the Earth’s crust
Earthquake – the shaking of Earth’s crust caused by large plates of rock underneath the Earth’s surface moving against each other
Landslide – occurs when gravity pulls down land on a slope of a hill
Landforms
Weathering – the breaking down of rock on the surface of the Earth, usually by the force of water, wind or ice
Erosion – the movement of weathered particles by water, wind or ice.
Deposition – the process in which materials that have been eroded are dropped in a new place
Water, Wind and Ice – elements of weather which cause weathering and erosion
Landform – a natural structure found on the Earth such as mountains, deltas and canyons.
Glaciers – A huge piece of ice that slowly moves across the surface of the Earth and erodes and creates new landforms as it moves.
Stalagmites/Stalactites – formations made from water and dissolved minerals that are found in underground caves
Earth’s Resources
sedimentary rock - A type of rock formed by layers of sediments that were squeezed and stuck together over a long time
fossil - The remains or traces of past life found in sedimentary rock
nonrenewable resource - A resource that cannot be readily replaced once it is used
renewable resource - Resources that are replaced as they are used
fossil fuel - A fuel formed from the remains of once-living organisms
Alternative Energy Resources
Solar Energy— energy from the sun • Solar cells can be mounted on roofs of buildings to produce electricity and heat energy.
Hydroelectric Power—energy from water
• Machines inside of dams can change moving water into electrical energy.
Wind Energy—Moving air can turn the blades of windmills. The windmills change the wind energy into electrical energy.
Nuclear Energy—energy that is given off by splitting the nucleus of an atom (uranium)
Geothermal Energy—energy from heat from melted rock deep below the Earth’s surface Biofuels—renewable energy made from biomass (crops, wood, trash, manure)
The Sun, Earth, and Moon System
axis - An imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and its North and South poles
day/night cycle - The Earth rotates counterclockwise around its axis. The side that faces the sun experiences daylight, and the side facing away from the sun experiences nightfall.
rotation - The Earth rotates once every 23 hours and 56 minutes at speeds of over 1,000 miles per hour.
revolution - The Earth goes around the Sun (revolves) once approximately every 365 days.