Earth Science Exam Review-Questions
and Answers Graded A+
seismic waves - ANSWER-Vibrations that travel through Earth carrying the energy released during
an earthquake.
crust - ANSWER-the outer layer of the Earth
mantle - ANSWER-the layer of hot, solid material between Earth's crust and core
lithosphere - ANSWER-the solid, outer layer of the earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper
part of the mantle
asthenosphere - ANSWER-the soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats
basalt - ANSWER-a rock that makes up much of the ocean floor
granite - ANSWER-a usually light-colored rock that is found in continental crust
outer core - ANSWER-a layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of Earth
inner core - ANSWER-a dense sphere of solid iron and nickel at the center of Earth
radiation - ANSWER-the transfer of energy through space
conduction - ANSWER-the direct transfer of heat from one substance to another substance that it is
touching
convection - ANSWER-the transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid
density - ANSWER-the amount of matter in a given space
convection current - ANSWER-the movement of a fluid, caused by differences in temperature, that
transfers heat from one part of the fluid to another
continental drift - ANSWER-the hypothesis that states that the continents once formed a single
landmass, broke up, and drifted to their present locations
Pangaea - ANSWER-large, ancient landmass that was composed of all the continents joined
together
fossil - ANSWER-the remains (or an impression) of a plant or animal that existed in a past geological
age and that has been excavated from the soil
mid-ocean ridge - ANSWER-An underwater moutain chain where new ocean floor is formed
sonar - ANSWER-a device that determines the distance of an object under water by recording
echoes of sound waves
,sea-floor spreading - ANSWER-the process by which molten material adds new oceanic crust to the
ocean floor
deep-ocean trench - ANSWER-a deep valley along the ocean floor beneath which oceanic crust
slowly sinks toward the mantle
subduction - ANSWER-the process by which oceanic crust sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench and
back into the mantle at a convergent plate boundary
plate - ANSWER-a section of the lithosphere that slowly moves over the asthenosphere, carrying
pieces of continental and oceanic crust
plate tectonics - ANSWER-the theory that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant motion,
driven by convection currents in the mantle
fault - ANSWER-a crack in the earth's crust
divergent plate boundary - ANSWER-a boundary where plates are spreading apart
rift valley - ANSWER-a deep valley that forms where two plates move apart
convergent boundary - ANSWER-a plate boundary where two plates move tward each other
transform boundary - ANSWER-boundary where two plates slide past each other
stress - ANSWER-a force that acts on rock to change its shape or volume
tension - ANSWER-stress that stretches rock so that it becomes thinner in the middle
compression - ANSWER-the type of stress that occurs when an object is squeezed
shearing - ANSWER-stress that pushes a mass of rock in opposite directions
normal fault - ANSWER-a type of fault where the hanging wall slides downward; caused by tension
in the crust
reverse fault - ANSWER-a type of fault where the hanging wall slides upward; caused by
compression in the crust
hanging wall - ANSWER-The block of rock that forms the upper half of a fault.
footwall - ANSWER-the block of rock that forms the lower half of a fault
strike-slip fault - ANSWER-a type of fault where rocks on either side move past each other sideways
with little up or down motion
anticline - ANSWER-an upward fold in rock formed by compression of Earth's crust
syncline - ANSWER-a downward fold in rock formed by compression in earth's crust
plateau - ANSWER-a large area of flat land elevated high above sea level
earthquake - ANSWER-The shaking that results from the movement of rock beneath Earth's surface
,focus - ANSWER-The point beneath Earth's surface where rock breaks under stress and causes an
earthquake
epicenter - ANSWER-the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake
P wave - ANSWER-A type of seismic wave that compresses and expands the ground.
S wave - ANSWER-a type of seismic wave that moves the ground up and down or side to side
surface wave - ANSWER-a type of seismic wave that forms when P waves and S waves reach
Earth's surface
magnitude - ANSWER-measure of the energy released during an earthquake
seismograph - ANSWER-a device that records ground movements caused by seismic waves as they
move through Earth
liquefaction - ANSWER-The process by which an earthquake's violent movement suddenly turns
loose soil into liquid mud
aftershock - ANSWER-an earthquake that occurs after a larger earthquake in the same area
tsunami - ANSWER-a giant wave caused by an earthquake on the ocean floor
volcano - ANSWER-a weak spot in the crust where magma has come to the surface
magma - ANSWER-molten rock beneath the earth's surface
lava - ANSWER-magma that reaches Earth's surface.
hot spot - ANSWER-an area where magma from deep within the mantle melts through the crust
above it
viscosity - ANSWER-the resistance of a gas or liquid to flow
silica - ANSWER-a material found in magma that is formed from the elements oxygen and silicon
pahoehoe - ANSWER-a hot, fast-moving type of lava that hardens to form smooth, ropelike coils
aa - ANSWER-a slow-moving type of lava that hardens to form rough chunks; cooler that pahoehoe
magma chamber - ANSWER-the pocket beneath a volcano where magma collects
pipe - ANSWER-a long tube through which magma moves from the magma chamber to Earth's
surface
crater (volcano) - ANSWER-a bowl-shaped opening at the top of a volcano
dormant - ANSWER-describes a volcano that is not currently active, but that may become active in
the future
extinct - ANSWER-A volcano that is no longer active and is unlikely to erupt again.
, law of superposition - ANSWER-The geologic principle that states that in horizontal layers of
sedimentary rock, each layer is older than the layer above it and younger than the layer below it.
mold - ANSWER-a fossil formed when an organism buried in sediment dissolves, leaving a hollow
area
cast - ANSWER-a type of body fossil that forms when crystals fill a mold or sediments wash into a
mold and harden into rock
relative age - ANSWER-the age of a rock compared to the ages of rock layers
absolute age - ANSWER-the age of a rock given as the number of years since the rock formed
geologic time scale - ANSWER-A record of the life forms and geologic events in Earth's history.
period - ANSWER-unit of time into which eras are subdivided
era - ANSWER-a unit of geologic time that includes two or more periods
salinity - ANSWER-the amount of salt in water
current - ANSWER-a large stream of moving water that flows through the ocean
coriolis effect - ANSWER-The way Earth's rotation makes winds in the Northern Hemisphere curve
to the right and winds in the Southern Hemisphere curve to the left.
climate - ANSWER-average, year-after-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a
particular region
El Nino - ANSWER-An abnormal climate event that occurs every two to seven years in the Pacific
Ocean; causing changes in winds; currents; and weather patterns for one to two years.
upwelling - ANSWER-the movement of deep, cold, and nutrient-rich water to the surface
tropical zone - ANSWER-near the equator between 23.5 North and 23.5 South latitudes; receive
direct sunlight year round, almost always warm
temperate zone - ANSWER-the area between the tropical and polar zones, from about 23.5 degrees
to 66.5 degrees north and 23.5 degrees to 66.5 degrees south latitudes
heliocentric - ANSWER-A model of the solar system in which Earth and the other planets revolve
around the sun.
corona - ANSWER-The outermost region of the sun's atmosphere.
spectrograph - ANSWER-An instrument that separates light into colors and makes an image of the
resulting spectrum.
nuclear fusion - ANSWER-The process by which hydrogen atoms join together in the sun's core to
form helium.
apparent brightness - ANSWER-the brightness of a star as seen from Earth
and Answers Graded A+
seismic waves - ANSWER-Vibrations that travel through Earth carrying the energy released during
an earthquake.
crust - ANSWER-the outer layer of the Earth
mantle - ANSWER-the layer of hot, solid material between Earth's crust and core
lithosphere - ANSWER-the solid, outer layer of the earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper
part of the mantle
asthenosphere - ANSWER-the soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats
basalt - ANSWER-a rock that makes up much of the ocean floor
granite - ANSWER-a usually light-colored rock that is found in continental crust
outer core - ANSWER-a layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of Earth
inner core - ANSWER-a dense sphere of solid iron and nickel at the center of Earth
radiation - ANSWER-the transfer of energy through space
conduction - ANSWER-the direct transfer of heat from one substance to another substance that it is
touching
convection - ANSWER-the transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid
density - ANSWER-the amount of matter in a given space
convection current - ANSWER-the movement of a fluid, caused by differences in temperature, that
transfers heat from one part of the fluid to another
continental drift - ANSWER-the hypothesis that states that the continents once formed a single
landmass, broke up, and drifted to their present locations
Pangaea - ANSWER-large, ancient landmass that was composed of all the continents joined
together
fossil - ANSWER-the remains (or an impression) of a plant or animal that existed in a past geological
age and that has been excavated from the soil
mid-ocean ridge - ANSWER-An underwater moutain chain where new ocean floor is formed
sonar - ANSWER-a device that determines the distance of an object under water by recording
echoes of sound waves
,sea-floor spreading - ANSWER-the process by which molten material adds new oceanic crust to the
ocean floor
deep-ocean trench - ANSWER-a deep valley along the ocean floor beneath which oceanic crust
slowly sinks toward the mantle
subduction - ANSWER-the process by which oceanic crust sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench and
back into the mantle at a convergent plate boundary
plate - ANSWER-a section of the lithosphere that slowly moves over the asthenosphere, carrying
pieces of continental and oceanic crust
plate tectonics - ANSWER-the theory that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant motion,
driven by convection currents in the mantle
fault - ANSWER-a crack in the earth's crust
divergent plate boundary - ANSWER-a boundary where plates are spreading apart
rift valley - ANSWER-a deep valley that forms where two plates move apart
convergent boundary - ANSWER-a plate boundary where two plates move tward each other
transform boundary - ANSWER-boundary where two plates slide past each other
stress - ANSWER-a force that acts on rock to change its shape or volume
tension - ANSWER-stress that stretches rock so that it becomes thinner in the middle
compression - ANSWER-the type of stress that occurs when an object is squeezed
shearing - ANSWER-stress that pushes a mass of rock in opposite directions
normal fault - ANSWER-a type of fault where the hanging wall slides downward; caused by tension
in the crust
reverse fault - ANSWER-a type of fault where the hanging wall slides upward; caused by
compression in the crust
hanging wall - ANSWER-The block of rock that forms the upper half of a fault.
footwall - ANSWER-the block of rock that forms the lower half of a fault
strike-slip fault - ANSWER-a type of fault where rocks on either side move past each other sideways
with little up or down motion
anticline - ANSWER-an upward fold in rock formed by compression of Earth's crust
syncline - ANSWER-a downward fold in rock formed by compression in earth's crust
plateau - ANSWER-a large area of flat land elevated high above sea level
earthquake - ANSWER-The shaking that results from the movement of rock beneath Earth's surface
,focus - ANSWER-The point beneath Earth's surface where rock breaks under stress and causes an
earthquake
epicenter - ANSWER-the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake
P wave - ANSWER-A type of seismic wave that compresses and expands the ground.
S wave - ANSWER-a type of seismic wave that moves the ground up and down or side to side
surface wave - ANSWER-a type of seismic wave that forms when P waves and S waves reach
Earth's surface
magnitude - ANSWER-measure of the energy released during an earthquake
seismograph - ANSWER-a device that records ground movements caused by seismic waves as they
move through Earth
liquefaction - ANSWER-The process by which an earthquake's violent movement suddenly turns
loose soil into liquid mud
aftershock - ANSWER-an earthquake that occurs after a larger earthquake in the same area
tsunami - ANSWER-a giant wave caused by an earthquake on the ocean floor
volcano - ANSWER-a weak spot in the crust where magma has come to the surface
magma - ANSWER-molten rock beneath the earth's surface
lava - ANSWER-magma that reaches Earth's surface.
hot spot - ANSWER-an area where magma from deep within the mantle melts through the crust
above it
viscosity - ANSWER-the resistance of a gas or liquid to flow
silica - ANSWER-a material found in magma that is formed from the elements oxygen and silicon
pahoehoe - ANSWER-a hot, fast-moving type of lava that hardens to form smooth, ropelike coils
aa - ANSWER-a slow-moving type of lava that hardens to form rough chunks; cooler that pahoehoe
magma chamber - ANSWER-the pocket beneath a volcano where magma collects
pipe - ANSWER-a long tube through which magma moves from the magma chamber to Earth's
surface
crater (volcano) - ANSWER-a bowl-shaped opening at the top of a volcano
dormant - ANSWER-describes a volcano that is not currently active, but that may become active in
the future
extinct - ANSWER-A volcano that is no longer active and is unlikely to erupt again.
, law of superposition - ANSWER-The geologic principle that states that in horizontal layers of
sedimentary rock, each layer is older than the layer above it and younger than the layer below it.
mold - ANSWER-a fossil formed when an organism buried in sediment dissolves, leaving a hollow
area
cast - ANSWER-a type of body fossil that forms when crystals fill a mold or sediments wash into a
mold and harden into rock
relative age - ANSWER-the age of a rock compared to the ages of rock layers
absolute age - ANSWER-the age of a rock given as the number of years since the rock formed
geologic time scale - ANSWER-A record of the life forms and geologic events in Earth's history.
period - ANSWER-unit of time into which eras are subdivided
era - ANSWER-a unit of geologic time that includes two or more periods
salinity - ANSWER-the amount of salt in water
current - ANSWER-a large stream of moving water that flows through the ocean
coriolis effect - ANSWER-The way Earth's rotation makes winds in the Northern Hemisphere curve
to the right and winds in the Southern Hemisphere curve to the left.
climate - ANSWER-average, year-after-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a
particular region
El Nino - ANSWER-An abnormal climate event that occurs every two to seven years in the Pacific
Ocean; causing changes in winds; currents; and weather patterns for one to two years.
upwelling - ANSWER-the movement of deep, cold, and nutrient-rich water to the surface
tropical zone - ANSWER-near the equator between 23.5 North and 23.5 South latitudes; receive
direct sunlight year round, almost always warm
temperate zone - ANSWER-the area between the tropical and polar zones, from about 23.5 degrees
to 66.5 degrees north and 23.5 degrees to 66.5 degrees south latitudes
heliocentric - ANSWER-A model of the solar system in which Earth and the other planets revolve
around the sun.
corona - ANSWER-The outermost region of the sun's atmosphere.
spectrograph - ANSWER-An instrument that separates light into colors and makes an image of the
resulting spectrum.
nuclear fusion - ANSWER-The process by which hydrogen atoms join together in the sun's core to
form helium.
apparent brightness - ANSWER-the brightness of a star as seen from Earth
