Earth Science Introduction

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Across
  1. 2. The science that examines Earth, its form and composition, and the changes it has undergone and is undergoing.
  2. 5. The span of time since the formation of Earth, about 4.6 billion years.
  3. 6. A well-tested and widely accepted view that explains certain observable facts.
  4. 7. The very thin outermost layer of Earth.
  5. 10. The innermost layer of Earth, located beneath the mantle. The core is divided into an outer core and an inner core.
  6. 12. (Ch 11) The procedure of calculating the absolute ages of rocks and minerals that contain radioactive isotopes.
  7. 13. A subdivision of the mantle situated below the lithosphere that is made of weak material and easily deformed.
  8. 15. With respect to a resource, a resource that is virtually inexhaustible or that can be replenished over relatively short time spans.
  9. 18. The scientific study of the atmosphere and atmospheric phenomena; the study of weather and climate.
  10. 20. An elongated depression in the seafloor produced by bending of oceanic crust during subduction. Also called simply a trench.
  11. 21. Large, continuous areas of land that include the adjacent continental shelf and islands that are structurally connected to the mainland.
  12. 23. The water portion of our planet; one of the traditional subdivisions of Earth's physical environment.
  13. 24. (mid-ocean ridge) A broad, linear ridge or rise on the ocean floor. The rift at the crest of the ridge represents a divergent plate boundary, where new oceanic crust is generated. Also called mid-ocean ridge or oceanic rise.
  14. 26. The 2900-kilometer- (1800-mile-) thick layer of Earth located below the crust.
  15. 27. (Ch 11) A principle which states that in any undeformed sequence of sedimentary rocks, each bed is older than the one above and younger than the one below.
Down
  1. 1. (Ch11) A principle by which layers of sediment are generally deposited in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position.
  2. 3. The totality of life on Earth; the parts of the solid Earth, hydrosphere, and atmosphere in which living organisms can be found.
  3. 4. The basic idea that the Sun and planets formed from the same cloud of gas and dust in interstellar space.
  4. 8. The rigid outer layer of Earth, including the crust and upper mantle.
  5. 9. The portion of the seafloor adjacent to the continents. It may include the continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise.
  6. 11. The scientific study of the oceans and oceanic phenomena.
  7. 14. The name for all the sciences that collectively seek to understand Earth. It includes geology, oceanography, meteorology, and astronomy.
  8. 16. The gaseous portion of a planet; the planet's envelope of air. One of the traditional subdivisions of Earth's physical environment.
  9. 17. An isolated volcanic peak that rises at least 1000 meters (3000 feet) above the deep-ocean floor.
  10. 19. basin A deep submarine region that lies beyond the continental margins.
  11. 22. A tentative explanation that is tested to determine whether it is valid.
  12. 25. The solid Earth, the largest of Earth's four major spheres.