CAST Earth Science Vocabulary
Across
- 1. a layer of gases that surrounds the Earth and interacts with the Earth's surface, climate, and life
- 4. a sedimentary deposit composed predominantly of carbon that is readily combustible
- 6. V-shaped depressions in the ocean that form when tectonic plates converge
- 12. a large, solid piece of Earth's crust that moves along with other tectonic plates
- 15. the process by which rocks are broken down at the Earth's surface through physical, chemical, or biological mechanisms
- 17. when two tectonic plates move apart, creating new crust
- 18. when two tectonic plates move toward each other and collide
- 20. vertical (or nearly vertical) fractures where the blocks have mostly moved horizontally
Down
- 2. process of deposition of a solid material from a state of suspension or solution in a fluid (usually air or water)
- 3. a large, solid slab of rock that makes up Earth's surface or crust
- 5. a process that occurs when the pH of a body of water or soil decreases
- 7. the mass movement of a material due to density differences caused by a variation in either composition or temperature
- 8. depressions in the Earth's surface that are caused by volcanic eruptions or meteorite impacts
- 9. fine sand, clay, or other material carried by running water and deposited as a sediment
- 10. a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock
- 11. fuel that occurs in geological formations such as shale, sandstone, coal beds, and other sedimentary rocks
- 13. a measure of the acidity or basicity of water which can be affected by the surrounding landscape
- 14. a natural resource that can be replenished by nature and is not depleted over time
- 16. a lowland area that forms when tectonic plates move apart
- 19. the geological process in which earthen materials are worn away and transported by natural forces such as wind or water