Name __________________ # _____ Date __________
Earth Science Study Guide
Geologist
someone who studies the EarthLayers of the Earth
Crust thin layer at the surface
Mantle middle layer made up of rock, some of which is soft and
pliable like modeling clay
Outer core liquid metal like iron and nickel
Inner core solid metal
Plate Tectonics a theory that states that the earths crust and upper mantle are broken into
huge slabs that are joined much like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. These plates move slowly due to the movement of convection currents in the liquid mantle.
Alfred Wegener German scientist who proposed the Continental Drift Theory
Continental Drift Theory landmasses or continents once were all together in a large mass
called Pangea (Greek for "all earth") and then over time they have drifted to their present positions.
Plates come into contact with each other at three types of boundaries. These boundaries are called faults like the San Andreas Fault. Movement of these boundaries lead to earthquakes.
Movement of these plates underwater may lead to Tsunamis or tidal waves.
Earthquakes are measured using the Richter Scale and recorded with seismographs.
Volcano a mountain that forms when lava, ashes, rocks, and melted rock material pile up
and hardens. They are common near plate boundaries. (Ring of Fire)
Be able to identify the crater, cone, vent, sill, lava, magma, and magma pool on a diagram.
Know what active (currently erupting), dormant (not currently erupting), and extinct (has not erupted in recorded history) mean in reference to volcanoes.
Mountains There are four ways mountains are formed
Fold mountains sections of the crust and upper mantle are squeezed from opposite
sides
Block mountains found along faults where the crust has been pushed up creating a
steep side and a sloping side
Dome mountains formed when large portions of the earths crust are pushed upward
by magma
Volcanoes cone-shaped mountains formed by volcanic eruptions
Mountains exist under water as well in peaks and trenches such as the Mariana Trench
Geyser - a hole in the ground through which hot water and steam shoot up in bursts.
Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park is a famous geyser.
Hot spring a geothermically heated pool of water