Earth Science Exam Review
absolute age - ------------ANS: the age of a rock given as the number of years since
the rock formed
absolute brightness - ------------ANS: The brightness a star would have if it were at a
standard distance from Earth.
aftershock - ------------ANS: an earthquake that occurs after a larger earthquake in
the same area
anticline - ------------ANS: an upward fold in rock formed by compression of Earth's
crust
apparent brightness - ------------ANS: the brightness of a star as seen from Earth
asthenosphere - ------------ANS: the soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere
floats
axis - ------------ANS: An imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and its
North and South Poles.
basalt - ------------ANS: a rock that makes up much of the ocean floor
Big bang - ------------ANS: The initial explosion that resulted in the formation and
expansion of the universe
binary star - ------------ANS: a star system with two stars
black hole - ------------ANS: An object whose gravity is so strong that nothing, not
even light, can escape
cast - ------------ANS: a type of body fossil that forms when crystals fill a mold or
sediments wash into a mold and harden into rock
chromosphere - ------------ANS: The middle layer of the sun's atmosphere
climate - ------------ANS: average, year-after-year conditions of temperature and
precipitation in a particular region
compression - ------------ANS: the type of stress that occurs when an object is
squeezed
, conduction - ------------ANS: the direct transfer of heat from one substance to another
substance that it is touching
continental drift - ------------ANS: the hypothesis that states that the continents once
formed a single landmass, broke up, and drifted to their present locations
convection - ------------ANS: the transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid
convection current - ------------ANS: the movement of a fluid, caused by differences
in temperature, that transfers heat from one part of the fluid to another
convergent boundary - ------------ANS: a plate boundary where two plates move
tward each other
coriolis effect - ------------ANS: 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.
corona - ------------ANS: The outermost region of the sun's atmosphere.
Cosmic background radiation - ------------ANS: The electromagnetic radiation left
over from the big bang
crater (volcano) - ------------ANS: a bowl-shaped opening at the top of a volcano
crust - ------------ANS: the outer layer of the Earth
current - ------------ANS: a large stream of moving water that flows through the ocean
Dark energy - ------------ANS: a mysterious force that appears to be causing the
expansion of the universe to accelerate
Dark matter - ------------ANS: Matter that does not give off electromagnetic radiation
deep-ocean trench - ------------ANS: a deep valley along the ocean floor beneath
which oceanic crust slowly sinks toward the mantle
density - ------------ANS: the amount of matter in a given space
divergent plate boundary - ------------ANS: a boundary where plates are spreading
apart
dormant - ------------ANS: describes a volcano that is not currently active, but that
may become active in the future
absolute age - ------------ANS: the age of a rock given as the number of years since
the rock formed
absolute brightness - ------------ANS: The brightness a star would have if it were at a
standard distance from Earth.
aftershock - ------------ANS: an earthquake that occurs after a larger earthquake in
the same area
anticline - ------------ANS: an upward fold in rock formed by compression of Earth's
crust
apparent brightness - ------------ANS: the brightness of a star as seen from Earth
asthenosphere - ------------ANS: the soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere
floats
axis - ------------ANS: An imaginary line that passes through Earth's center and its
North and South Poles.
basalt - ------------ANS: a rock that makes up much of the ocean floor
Big bang - ------------ANS: The initial explosion that resulted in the formation and
expansion of the universe
binary star - ------------ANS: a star system with two stars
black hole - ------------ANS: An object whose gravity is so strong that nothing, not
even light, can escape
cast - ------------ANS: a type of body fossil that forms when crystals fill a mold or
sediments wash into a mold and harden into rock
chromosphere - ------------ANS: The middle layer of the sun's atmosphere
climate - ------------ANS: average, year-after-year conditions of temperature and
precipitation in a particular region
compression - ------------ANS: the type of stress that occurs when an object is
squeezed
, conduction - ------------ANS: the direct transfer of heat from one substance to another
substance that it is touching
continental drift - ------------ANS: the hypothesis that states that the continents once
formed a single landmass, broke up, and drifted to their present locations
convection - ------------ANS: the transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid
convection current - ------------ANS: the movement of a fluid, caused by differences
in temperature, that transfers heat from one part of the fluid to another
convergent boundary - ------------ANS: a plate boundary where two plates move
tward each other
coriolis effect - ------------ANS: 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.
corona - ------------ANS: The outermost region of the sun's atmosphere.
Cosmic background radiation - ------------ANS: The electromagnetic radiation left
over from the big bang
crater (volcano) - ------------ANS: a bowl-shaped opening at the top of a volcano
crust - ------------ANS: the outer layer of the Earth
current - ------------ANS: a large stream of moving water that flows through the ocean
Dark energy - ------------ANS: a mysterious force that appears to be causing the
expansion of the universe to accelerate
Dark matter - ------------ANS: Matter that does not give off electromagnetic radiation
deep-ocean trench - ------------ANS: a deep valley along the ocean floor beneath
which oceanic crust slowly sinks toward the mantle
density - ------------ANS: the amount of matter in a given space
divergent plate boundary - ------------ANS: a boundary where plates are spreading
apart
dormant - ------------ANS: describes a volcano that is not currently active, but that
may become active in the future
