Earth Systems

3. the formation of new ocean crust as a result of magma pushing upward and outward from earth’s mantle to the surface
5. the exact point on the surface of Earth directly above the location where rock ruptures during an
7. precipitation high in sulfuric acid and nitric acid from reactions between water vapor and sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere; also known as acid rain
11. the breakdown of rocks and minerals by chemical reactions, the dissolving of chemical elements from rocks, or both
13. the sudden movement of Earth’s crust caused by a release of potential energy along a geologic fault and usually causing a vibration or trembling at Earth’s surface
14. the layer of Earth located in the outer part of the mantle, composed of semi-molten rock
17. abundance the average concentration of an element in Earth’s crust
19. a soil horizon composed primarily of mineral material with very little organic matter

1. the proportion of soil bases to soil acids, expressed as a percentage
2. an area beneath the ocean where tectonic plates move away from each other
4. the geologic cycle governing the constant formation, alteration, and destruction of rock material that results from tectonics, weathering, and erosion, among other processes
6. the rock material from which the inorganic components of a soil are derived
8. a zone of leaching, or eluviation, found in some acidic soils under the O horizon or, less often, the A
9. an area where plates move toward one another and collide
10. the innermost zone of Earth’s interior, composed mostly of iron and nickel; it includes a liquid outer layer and a solid inner layer
11. the least-weathered soil horizon which always occurs beneath the B horizon and is similar to the parent
12. an area where tectonic plates move sideways past each other
15. the sum of the processes that build up and break down the lithosphere
16. in geology, a place where molten material from Earth’s mantle reaches the lithosphere
18. frequently the top layer of soil, a zone of organic material and minerals that have been mixed together; also known as topsoil