Geological and Earth Science Terms

Front

analyze

Back

to examine in detail for a purpose

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continent

Back

any of Earth's main continuous areas of land, such as Africa, Asia, and North America

Front

convergent

Back

moving toward the same place

Front

cross section

Back

a diagram that shows what the inside of something looks like

Front

divergent

Back

moving apart in different directions

Front

earthquake

Back

a sudden shaking of Earth's surface

Front

eruption

Back

the sudden pushing out of something, such as lava from a volcano

Front

fossil

Back

evidence of life from the past, such as fossilized bones, footprints, or leaf prints

Front

geyser

Back

a natural spring that sends hot water and steam suddenly into the air from a hole in the ground

Front

landform

Back

a feature that forms on the surface of a planet, such as a mountain, channel, or sand dune