Across
- 2. the deepest valleys on Earth’s surface, found along the ocean floor (where rock is recycled)
- 3. process in which the weight of overlying layers of soil and sediment press down on lower layers of sediment
- 4. subsystem that includes all living organisms
- 11. process that forms oceans; (1) heat from inside Earth rises to the surface and stretches the crust apart, (2) stretching forms a rift valley and results in volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, (3) eruptions create new rock, (4) the force continues to stretch the crust and widen the rift valley, (5) the valley fills with water and eventually becomes an ocean basin
- 14. a large mass of ice that exists year-round and flows slowly over land (erode soil, sediment, and rock)
- 16. giant moving pieces of Earth’s entire surface, including the ocean floor and continents
- 19. theory that describes how Earth’s outer layer is broken up into moving tectonic plates, and how they shape Earth’s surface
- 21. the edge of a continent that is covered with water
- 22. land feature formed at the mouth of a stream or river where the water slows down and deposits sediment
- 23. all the matter, energy, and processes from Earth’s core to the outer edge of its atmosphere
- 25. igneous rock formed when lava erupts onto Earth’s surface and cools quickly, commonly found near volcanoes (very small crystals)
- 27. igneous rock formed when magma pushes into the rock below Earth’s surface and cools slowly (large crystals have time to form)
- 29. subsystem that includes all of the gasses in a layer that surrounds Earth
- 30. ROCK rock formed from cooling magma below ground and/or cooling lava above ground
- 31. boundary where two tectonic plates slide past each other
- 35. force that drives the movement of Earth’s plates; the slow cycling of Earth’s mostly solid interior due to temperature and density differences
- 36. occurs when eroded materials are dropped or laid down
- 37. a solid with atoms or molecules arranged in a repeating pattern (makes up a mineral)
- 38. fragments of weathered rock
- 40. rock formed from sediments compacting and cementing together by new minerals; OR when minerals dissolved in water remain after it evaporates; OR formed from fossil remains
Down
- 1. the breakdown and decomposition of rocks as a result of chemical reactions and processes by air, water, and/or plants
- 5. the mechanical breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces by temperature changes, pressure changes, and/or interactions with plants, animals, water, wind, ice, and the force of gravity
- 6. process in which iron-containing rocks react with oxygen and water, resulting in a reddish color (like rust)
- 7. subsystem that includes all Earth’s water on the surface, underground, or in the atmosphere (liquid water, water vapor, and solid water in ice and snow)
- 8. supercontinent that existed when all of the continents were joined together 280-245 million years ago
- 9. boundary where two tectonic plates move away from each other
- 10. boundary where two tectonic plates move toward each other
- 12. rain or other precipitation that is more acidic than normal, which reacts with certain types of rocks and weakens them
- 13. when rock is broken down into smaller pieces by the scraping action of other materials, driven by water/wind/ice/gravity
- 15. giant continuous mountain range found on the ocean floor (where new rock is formed)
- 17. the process by which wind, water, ice, or gravity transport weathered materials from one location to another
- 18. molten rock ON Earth’s surface
- 20. process in which dissolved minerals solidify between the pieces and “glue” them together
- 24. a naturally occurring and usually inorganic solid with a definite chemical composition and an orderly internal structure (makes up a rock)
- 26. the traces or remains of organisms that lived long ago, commonly found in rock; made up of minerals that have replaced the former structure
- 28. the process by which rock materials are broken down by the action of physical and chemical processes
- 32. rock formed when large changes of temperature, pressure, or both cause the texture and mineral content of existing rock to change (over millions of years)
- 33. subsystem that includes all of the rocks, minerals, and landforms on Earth’s surface and all the matter in its interior
- 34. the series of processes in which rocks change from one type to another
- 39. molten rock INSIDE the Earth