Key Terms

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Across
  1. 3. a hypothesis that has stood the test of time and surpassed any similar ones. It’s well tested and widely accepted
  2. 7. the outer layer of the Earth that includes the crust and uppermost mantle.
  3. 9. expansive flat regions that are composed of deformed rock and are located in the continental interior.
  4. 10. states that the members of the solar system from a large cloud consisting of dust and other matter known as the solar nebula.
  5. 12. relatively narrow depressions that are produced by the bending of the oceanic crust
  6. 14. a process used to make observations and generate facts in order to formulate a hypothesis.
  7. 16. a deep underwater region that lies far below the continents.
  8. 17. a broad and elevated feature that winds for a very long distance and consists of fractured igneous rock
  9. 18. the relatively stable interiors of the continents that were generally involved in the early creating of mountains.
  10. 20. a layer of the Earth that is somewhat less dense than the core
  11. 21. a temporary explanation for a scientific idea. Generally used before any testing occurs.
  12. 24. The solid Earth, which is found below the atmosphere and ocean at a depth of 4000 miles.
  13. 25. a potion of the sea floor that lies adjacent to major landmasses
  14. 27. submerged volcanic structures that can often be found organized in long and narrow chains.
  15. 28. The study of the oceans that integrates a number of different sciences.
  16. 31. The study of weather, climate, and the atmosphere. Focuses on a thin layer of air that surrounds the Earth
  17. 32. The study of the Earth, which can be divided into physical and historical subcategories.
  18. 33. a sector of weak and slowly flowing rocks that respond to an uneven distribution of heat in the Earth’s depths.
  19. 34. a steep continental slope than inclines gradually. Made up of a thick set of sediment that came down from the shelf.
  20. 35. the section of Earth that includes all life on earth, land and sea.
Down
  1. 1. the thin, gaseous layer of air that surrounds the Earth that allows us to breathe.
  2. 2. a group of interacting parts that form a whole. Just as the earth can be seen as a system, our political system or air conditioning are the same.
  3. 4. a mass of water that is always moving in some form of another, and is highlighted by the world’s oceans.
  4. 5. the study of Earth as a system made up of various parts that work together. It seeks to integrate the knowledge of multiple fields of study.
  5. 6. areas that are found on the craton yet consist of sedimentary rocks.
  6. 8. found between continental margins and oceanic ridges, and consisting of abyssal plains.
  7. 11. prominent features of continents that are created as a result of plate tectonics
  8. 13. a light and very thin layer of the Earth that does does not have the same thickness all the way around.
  9. 15. remarkably flat features that are found across the earth and lie relatively close to sea level.
  10. 19. a steep drop off that is home to the boundary between the continents and ocean basins
  11. 22. System the idea that each sphere of the Earth can be studied separately, yet they all are related to each other
  12. 23. The name for the group of sciences that concern our planet and the others that surround it.
  13. 25. the dense inner sphere of the Earth
  14. 26. The study of outer space and the universe as a whole. It can be used to trace the origins of our own environment.
  15. 29. a sloping platform that is found along most coasts and extends seaward.
  16. 30. Flat features that make up the deep ocean basins and often lie at the bottom of a rise