Unit 9: Earth Materials Vocabulary
Asthenosphere – the somewhat fluid portion of the mantle upon which the lithosphere is located Core- the Earth’s core is a liquid layer made of iron and nickel that is below the mantle. It includes Inner and Outer Core.
Mantle – the region inside the Earth between the core and the crust Lithosphere – the top most layer of the Earth, which is comprised of the crust and solid portion of the upper mantle, divided into plates, and moves a top the layer known as the asthenosphere.
Compaction – process by which overlying pressure from rocks and soil reduces the size or volume of sediments Igneous – a type of rock formed when crystallized through melting and cooling rock
Metamorphic – a type of rock formed when igneous or sedimentary rocks are put under intense heat and / or pressure in the Earth’s crust
Plasticity – the quality of being easily shaped or molded Rock cycle – the continual process by which rocks can be changed into different types of rock
Sedimentary – a type of rock formed through the accumulation, compaction, and cementation of sediment Sedimentation – the deposition of solid material from being suspended in a fluid (water)
Semi-solid – having the qualities of both a solid and a liquid; exceptionally thick substance Cementation – process of binding and hardening sediments into hard rock