1. Celestial spheres covered with ice and dust that leave trails of vapor as they race through space. Comets

2. Large chucks of rocky material found in space. Asteroids

3. What are the three layers of earth? Core, Mantle, and Crust

4. Name for the layer of earth where all the animals and plants live. biosphere

5. What are the three main parts, or layers, that make up the biosphere? Lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere

6. Theory that states the earth’s landmass was once a supercontinent that broke into about a dozen plates that slowly moved apart over millions of years. Continental Drift

7. A landmass above water on the earth. continent

8. This consists of the sun, nine known planets, as well as other celestial bodies that orbit the sun. Solar System

9. Name for the earth’s center, made up of iron and nickel; solid on the inside and liquid on the outside. Core

10. Rock layer about 1,800 miles thick found between the earth’s crust and core Mantle

11. Name for the molten rock material formed when solid rock in the earth’s mantle or crust melts. Magma

12. The thin rock layer making up the earth’s surface. Crust

13. Name for the layer of gases immediately surrounding the earth. atmosphere

14. Name for the solid rock portion of the earth’s surface lithosphere

15. Name for all the water comprised on earth’s surface, including oceans seas, rivers, lakes, and vapor in the atmosphere. hydrosphere

16. The continuous circulation of water among the atmosphere, the oceans, and the earth. Hydrologic cycle

17. An area drained by major rivers and its tributaries. Drainage basin

18. The water held under the earth’s surface, often in and around the pores of rock. Ground Water

19. The level at which rock is saturated. Water table

20. A naturally formed feature on the surface of the earth. landform

21. The earth’s surface from the edge of a continent to the deep part of the ocean. Continental shelf

22. The difference in elevation of a landform from the lowest point to the highest point. relief

23. The combined characteristics of landforms and their distribution in a region. topography

24. An enormous moving shelf that forms the earth’s crust. Tectonic plate

25. A fracture in the earth’s crust. fault

26. A sometimes violent movement of the earth, produced when tectonic plates grind or slip past each other at a fault. earthquake

27. A device that measures the size of the waves created by an earthquake. seismograph

28. The point of the earth’s surface that corresponds to the location in the earth where an earthquake begins. epicenter

29. A way to measure information collected by seismographs to determine the relative strength of an earthquake. Richter Scale

30. A giant ocean wave, caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption, with great destructive power. tsunami

31. A natural event, formed when magma, gases, and water from the lower part of the crust or mantle collect in underground chambers and eventually erupt and pour out of cracks in the earth’s surface. volcano

32. Magma that reaches the earth’s surface. Lava

33. Physical and chemical processes that change the characteristics of rock on or near the earth’s surface, occurring slowly over many years. weathering

34. Small pieces of rock produced by weathering processes. sediment

35. Natural processes that break rock into smaller pieces. Mechanical weathering

36. A process that changes rock into a new substance through interactions among elements in the air or water and the minerals in the rock. Chemical weathering

37. The result of weathering on matter, created by the action of wind, water, ice, or gravity. erosion

38. A fan-like landform made of deposited sediment, left by a river that slows as it enters the ocean. delta

39. Wind-blown silt and clay sediment that produces very fertile soil. loess

40. A large, long-lasting mass of ice that moves because of gravity. glacier

41. The changing of landforms by slowly moving glaciers. glaciation

42. A ridge or hill of rock carried and finally deposited by a glacier. moraine

43. Name for organic material in soil. humus

44. This occurs where two plates meet and cause the layers of rock to bend. Fold

45. Name for the zone found around the Pacific rim where eight major tectonic plates meet and a majority of active volcanoes are located. Ring of Fire

46. Wyoming Cheyenne