Earth Science Terms

Front

Rigid

Back

Describes a material or layer that is hard and inflexible.

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Brittle

Back

Describes a material that breaks or fractures easily under stress.

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Plastic

Back

Refers to a material that is solid but can flow or deform under pressure, like modeling clay.

Front

Crust

Back

The thin, outermost layer of the Earth, consisting of solid rock.

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Mantle

Back

The layer beneath the crust, made of solid rock that flows very slowly.

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Core

Back

The innermost layer of the Earth, divided into the solid inner core and the liquid outer core.

Front

Lithosphere

Back

The rigid outer layer of the Earth, including the crust and the uppermost mantle.

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Asthenosphere

Back

A plastic-like, partially molten layer of the mantle below the lithosphere.

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Tectonic Plates

Back

Large, rigid pieces of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact on the asthenosphere.

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Convection

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The process of heat transfer by the movement of material in fluids or plastic solids, driving plate movement.