LITHOSPHERE UNIT VOCABULARY
Lithosphere- rigid outer shell of Earth including the crust and solid uppermost part
of the mantle
Metamorphic rocks-form from changes in temperature and pressure; examples are
slate and marble
Igneous rocks- crystallize from magma; examples are obsidian and basalt
Sedimentary rocks- form from cemented sediments; examples are sandstone and
shale
Erosion- movement of weathered materials from one location to another
Deposition- final stage of erosion process when sediments are laid down on the
ground or settle to the bottom of a body of water
Foliation- process of minerals aligning in bands due to pressure; found in
metamorphic rocks
Weathering- chemical or mechanical process that breaks down and changes rocks
on or near Earth’s surface; influenced by precipitation and temperature
Mass movement- movement of loose sediments and weathered rock due to the
force of gravity
Oxidation- chemical reaction of oxygen with other substances
Convergent boundary- where two tectonic plates are moving toward each other;
form trenches, island arcs, folded mountains; destroy Earth’s crust
Divergent boundary- where two tectonic plates are moving away from each other;
form volcanoes, earthquakes, high heat flow; create Earth’s crust
Transform boundary- where two tectonic plates slide horizontally past each other;
form long faults, shallow earthquakes; conserve Earth’s crust
Rift valley- long narrow depression that forms when the crust separates at a
divergent boundary
Subduction zone- place where one tectonic plate slides beneath another; slab pull
Mantle convection- transfer of thermal energy by movement of heated matter
Plate tectonics- theory that explains the structure of Earth’s crust as rigid plates
that move slowly over the underlying mantle
Focus- place along a fault line from which an earthquake originates
Sustainable- able to be maintained at a certain rate or level
Urbanization- process of rapid development of areas that were previously more
rural
Natural resources- materials such as minerals, forests, water etc. that occur in
nature and can be used for economic gain