Across
- 1. a large, relatively flat expanse of ancient metamorphic rock within the stable continental interior
- 4. the scientific study of the oceans and oceanic phenomena
- 6. includes all of life on Earth; the parts of the solid Earth, hydrosphere, and atmosphere in which living organisms can be found
- 8. the idea that the Sun and planets formed from the same cloud of gas and dust in interstellar space
- 11. the rigid outer layer of Earth, including the crust and upper mantle
- 12. a very large area of the deep ocean floor, usually lying at the foot of the continental rise
- 13. Earth is viewed as a dynamic system of interacting parts and processes including the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere
- 14. large, continuous areas of land that also include islands that are structurally connected to the mainland
- 17. the very thin outermost layer of Earth
- 18. an isolated volcanic peak that rises above the deep ocean floor
- 22. the gaseous portion of Earth
- 23. the span of time since the formation of Earth, about 4.6 billion years
- 25. the part of the continental crust that has attained stability and has not been affected by significant tectonic activity during the Phanerozoic eon; consists of the shield and stable platform
- 26. the broad linear ridge or rise on the ocean floor
- 27. the gently sloping surface at the base of the continental slope
- 28. a well tested and widely accepted view that explains certain observable facts
- 31. an elongated depression in the seafloor produced by the bending of oceanic crust during subduction
- 33. a deep submarine region that lies beyond the continental margins
- 34. the steep gradient that leads to the deep ocean floor and marks the seaward edge of the continental shelf
- 35. the solid Earth, the largest of Earth’s four major spheres
- 36. the part of a craton that is mantled by the relatively undeformed sedimentary rocks and underlaid by a basement complex of igneous and metamorphic rocks
Down
- 2. the water portion of Earth
- 3. the portion of the seafloor that lies between the continental margin and the oceanic ridge system; takes up almost 30% of Earth’s surface
- 5. the portion of the seafloor adjacent to the continents. It may include the continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise
- 7. the thick layer of Earth located below the crust
- 9. a educated guess that is tested to determine whether it could be true
- 10. a geographic area of roughly parallel and geologically connected mountain ranges developed from plate tectonics
- 15. includes geology, oceanography, meteorology, and astronomy
- 16. the scientific study of the universe, includes the observation and interpretation of celestial bodies and phenomena
- 17. the gently sloping submerged portion of the continental margin, extending from the shoreline to the continental slope
- 19. the process by which researchers raise questions, gather data, and formulate and test scientific hypotheses
- 20. any size group of interacting parts that form a complex whole
- 21. subdivision of the mantle lying below the lithosphere
- 24. examines Earth as a system composed of several interacting subsystems
- 29. the innermost layer of Earth, located beneath the mantle. The core is divided into an outer core and an inner core
- 30. the science that examines Earth, its form and composition, and the changes it has undergone and is undergoing
- 32. the scientific study of the atmosphere and atmospheric phenomena; the study of weather and climate