Across
- 2. the layer of gases that surrounds Earth
- 4. a shaking or trembling of Earth, caused by the collision of tectonic plates
- 6. the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time
- 8. a complete trip of Earth around the sun
- 9. a flat area that rises above the surrounding land
- 11. the change of water vapor to a liquid or solid state
- 13. the process by which weathered bits of rock are moved elsewhere by water, wind, or ice
- 15. one of two days each year when the sun reaches its northernmost or southernmost point
- 17. a giant ocean wave caused by volcanic eruptions or movement of the earth under the ocean floor
- 20. a long, narrow band of volcanoes surrounding the Pacific Ocean
- 21. an area that receives reduced rainfall because it is on the side of a mountain facing away from the ocean
- 23. one of the 16 pieces of Earth’s crust
- 25. one of two days each year when the sun is directly overhead at the Equator
- 27. the change of liquid water to water vapor
- 28. rain that contains harmful amounts of poisons due to pollution
- 29. the part of a continent that extends into the ocean, then drops off sharply
Down
- 1. a large body of ice that moves slowly across land
- 3. the process by which Earth’s surface is worn away by natural forces
- 5. the process in which water is used and reused on Earth
- 7. a large, unbroken mass of land
- 10. an imaginary line that runs through Earth’s center from the North Pole to the South Pole
- 12. a process that makes salt water safe to drink
- 14. to circle around something
- 16. a large expanse of land that can be flat or have a gentle roll
- 18. the water that falls on Earth as rain, snow, sleet, hail, or mist
- 19. a place where two tectonic plates grind against each other
- 22. an area where sand, silt, clay, or gravel is dropped at the mouth of a river
- 23. a long, narrow, steep-sided cut on the ocean floor
- 24. the water contained inside Earth’s crust
- 26. a narrow strip of land that connects two larger land areas