Mid Term
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Earth science
The scientific study of all aspects of Earth
scientific method
The way a scientist approaches a problem; steps include observing, formulating a hypothesis, testing, and evaluating results
hypothesis
A plausible, but yet to be proved, explanation for how something happens.
theory
A hypothesis that has been tested and is strongly supported by experimentation, observation, and scientific evidence.
system
A portion of the universe that can be separated from the rest of the universe for the purpose of observing changes that happen in it.
feedback mechanisms
Reactions that enhance (positive) or retard (negative) change in an open system.
Earth system science
The study of Earth as a closed system composed of interacting open systems and how the open systems may be changed as a result of human activities.
core
Earth’s innermost compositional layer, where the magnetic field is generated and much geothermal energy resides
mantle
The middle compositional layer of Earth, between the crust and the core.
crust
The outermost compositional layer of the solid Earth: part of the lithosphere.
lithosphere
Earth’s outermost rocky layer, comprising the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle.
asthenosphere
A layer of weak, ductile rock in the mantle that is close to melting but not actually molten.
plate tectonics
The movement and interactions of large fragments of Earth’s lithosphere, called plates.
oceanic crust
The thinner, denser, and younger part of Earth’s crust, underlying the ocean basins.
continental crust
The older, thicker, and less dense part of Earth’s crust; the bulk of Earth’s land masses.
natural resources
Useful materials obtained from the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, or biosphere
renewable resource
A resource that can be replenished or regenerated on the scale of a human lifetime.
nonrenewable resource
A resource that cannot be replenished or regenerated on the scale of a human lifetime.
hydrologic cycle
A model that describes the movement of water through the reservoirs of the Earth system; the water cycle.
evaporation
The process by which water changes from a liquid to a vapor.
transpiration
The process by which water taken up by plants passes directly into the atmosphere.
condensation
The process by which water changes from vapor into a liquid.
deposition
The process by which water changes from a vapor into a solid.
precipitation
The process by which water that has condensed in the atmosphere falls back to the surface as rain, snow, or hail.