1. Unit 1 Vocab

2. Nuclear Fission - when the nuclei is split into two smaller nuclei and emits neutrons and heat energy.
2.) Nuclear Fusion - the way the Sun produces energy - when nuclei COMBINE releasing tremendous amounts of energy.

3. 3.) Radiation - the transfer of energy (heat) through space by electromagnetic waves.
4.) Electromagnetic Spectrum - the arrangement of electromagnetic radiation according to wavelenghts.

4. 5.) X-Rays - an invisible wavelength that can be detected through film.
6.) Cosmic Rays - immensely high energy radiation, mainly originate outside the Solar System.

5. 7.) Rock Cycle - the model that illustrates the origin of the three basic rock types and the interrelatedness of Earth materials and processes.
8.) Mechanical Weathering - when physical forces break rock into smaller and smaller pieces without changing the rocks composition.

6. 9.) Chemical Weathering - the process where the internal structure of a mineral/rock is altered by the removal/addition of elements.
10.) Deposition - the process by which an agent of erosion loses energy and drops the sediment it is carrying.

7. 11.) Foliation - a zone of weakness in a sedimentary rock and more likely to flow in a ductile flow.
12.) Ridge - Push - a mechanism that may contribute to plate motion.

8. 13.) Lithosphere - the rigid outer layer of Earth including the crust and upper mantle.
14.) Plate Boundary - major interactions among individual plates occur along their boundaries.

9. 15.) Plate Tectonics - the theory that proposes the Earth’s outer shell is composed of individual plates that interact in various ways and produce earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, and the crust itself.

10. 16.) Geologic Time Scale - the division of Earth’s history into time - eons, eras, periods, and epochs.
17.) Magma - a body of molten rock found at a depth including any dissolved gases and crystals (in the Earth).

11. 18.) Lava - magma that reaches Earth’s surface.
19.) Volcanoes - a mountain formed of lava and/or pyroclastic material.

12. 20.) Earthquakes - the vibration of Earth produced by the rapid release of energy.
21.) Epicenter - the location on Earth’s surface directly above the focus, or origin, of an earthquake.

13. 22.) Focus - the point within Earth where an earthquake originates.
23.) Magnitude - a measure of the size of seismic waves or the amount of energy released at the source of the earthquake.

14. 24.) Faults - a fracture in Earth along which movement has occurred.
25.) Soil - a combination of mineral and organic matter, water, and air.

15. 26.) Climate - the average weather conditions of an area, and also any variations from this.
27.) Erosion - the incorporation and transportation of material by a mobile agent, such as water, wind, or ice.