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Definition
| The crust and upper area of the earth's mantle. |
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| A large piece of the earth's crust that floats on the melted rock in the earth's mantle. |
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| Theory of Plate Tectonics |
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Definition
| The idea that the earth's crust is made up of moving plates. |
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| Places where plates meet. |
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| A single landmass that some scientists believe once existed and may have broken into pieces. |
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| An event that occurs when rocks along the plate boundaries shift suddenly and release their stored energy. |
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| The breaks in the earth's surface along which rocks can move. |
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| Thrust (or Reverse) Fault |
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Definition
| Occurs where rocks push together until they force a section of rock upward. Colliding plate boundaries are reverse faults. |
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Definition
| As rocks move apart, a section of rock may fall between the separating rocks. May allow molten rock from under the crust to fill in the gap and form new land. |
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Definition
| Occurs as rocks move horizontally past arch other. It is the site of many earthquakes. Ex: San Andreas Fault in California |
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Definition
| When molten rock pushes up between plates and causes the plates to spread apart. The magma then cools, forming new land. |
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Definition
| The beginning point of an earthquake. |
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Definition
| Vibrations that flow out from the focus in all directions. |
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Definition
| The point on the surface of the earth directly above the focus. |
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Term
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Definition
| Seismic waves that occur beneath the surface of the earth. Two kinds: P and S waves. |
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Term
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Definition
| Scientists who study the movement of the earth, use the difference in the speed of P and S waves to help calculate the location of the focus of an earthquake. |
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Term
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Definition
| Primary waves. The fastest moving body wave. It travels in a straight path by a push and pull motion. It is able to travel through both solid & liquid. |
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Term
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Definition
| Secondary waves. Moves more slowly than the P wave. It moves in an up and down zigzag pattern. They cannot move through liquid. |
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Definition
| The slowest moving and most destructive waves. |
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Definition
| The fastest moving land waves that move back and forth in a zigzag pattern. |
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Definition
| Move along the ground in a rolling motion, similar to the way ocean waves roll. |
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Definition
| A machine used by seismologists to detect, time, and measure the movements of the earth. |
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Definition
| Seismographs produce these records of the movements of the earth. |
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Definition
| Scale based on the amount of destruction that an earthquake causes to man-made structures. |
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Definition
| Scale that measures the magnitude or strength of the seismic waves of an earthquake. |
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Definition
| The strength of the seismic waves of an earthquake. |
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Definition
| Giant ocean waves caused by an earthquake, volcano, or landslide occurring under or near the ocean. |
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Definition
| Molten rock and gases beneath the earth's surface. |
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Definition
| Forms where a crack in the earth's crust allows magma and gases to come to the surface. |
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| Scientists who study volcanoes. |
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Definition
| Pockets of molten rock deep in the earth's lithosphere. |
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Definition
| Magma that has broken through the earth's surface. |
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Definition
| An opening in the earth's surface that lava flows out. |
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Definition
| The bowl shape at the top of a main vent of a volcano, through which lava flows. |
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Definition
| An eruption that flow through a side vent on a volcano. |
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Definition
| Clouds of crushed rock erupting from a volcano. |
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Definition
| The funnel shaped mound of a volcano. |
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Definition
| A term vulcanologist's use to describe the volcanoes found in an area around the edges of the Pacific Ocean. |
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Term
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Definition
| Underwater volcano eruptions. They are 20 times from frequent than land eruptions. |
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Definition
| A volcano that occurs where a pool of intensely hot magma rises toward the surface, melting rock until it breaks through the crust. |
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Definition
| A volcano that has gradually sloping sides and look like an upside down saucer (instead of cone shaped). |
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Definition
| A cone shaped volcano that resembles a hill more than a mountain. It most often has a bowl-like crater at the top and one main vent. |
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Definition
| A large, symmetrical, cone-shaped volcano with steep sides that measure several thousands of meters high. |
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Definition
| Bits of ash and lava in the air after a volcano eruption. |
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Definition
| A mixture of cinder, ash and rock. |
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Definition
| A volcano that has erupted at some point during a recorded time period and is expected to erupt again. |
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Term
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Definition
| A volcano that has erupted in the past but is now inactive and is not expected to erupt again. |
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Definition
| A volcano that has not erupted and is not expected to erupt, but no guarantee. |
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Term
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Definition
| A volcano with runny lava and little or no cinder, ash and steam. It is a quiet eruption that may continue for long periods of time. |
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Term
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Definition
| A volcano that produces a fountain of lava that runs down the sides. |
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Definition
| A volcano that erupts violently with a loud explosion sending lava, ash, cinders and gas into the air. |
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Definition
| A volcano that is more violent than a Vulcanian eruption and produces an avalanche of red-hot dust and gases that races down the side of the volcano. |
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Term
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Definition
| An avalanche of red-hot dust and gasses which races down the side of a volcano. |
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Definition
| The most powerful eruption. In addition to lava, it blows gases, ash, and debris high into the atmosphere that can travel for miles. |
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Definition
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Definition
| When part of the mountain collapses and mud and rock fragments surge down the mountain, burying life in its path. |
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Definition
| Rock formed as lava and magma harden. Ex: pumice, obsidian, granite. |
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Definition
| Water that rises to the earth's surface as it is heated by a magma pool. |
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Definition
| A hot spring that periodically blows steam and hot water into the air. |
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Definition
| A hot spring that contains more mud than water. |
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Definition
| Registers the motion of small changes in the slope of the ground. |
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Definition
| A laser beam used to assess the shape and size of a volcano. |
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