Planet Earth Vocabulary

Large landmasses on the Earth's surface

• landforms

• glaciers

• continents

• plate tectonics

the breaking down of rocks by water, wind, plants, ice and chemicals

• water cycle

• erosion

• weathering

• solar energy

fresh water found in lakes, streams, and rivers

• groundwater

• freshwater

• glaciers

• surface water

Energy from the sun

• solar energy

• water cycle

• latitude

• revolution

Melted rock that reaches the earth's surface

• landforms

• lava

• water cycle

• plate tectonics

The invisible gaseous form of water

• water cycle

• lava

• solar energy

• water vapor

sudden, violent movements along a fracture within Earth's crust

• erosion

• plate tectonics

• earthquakes

• weathering

Movement of water from earth to the air and back to the earth

• water vapor

• precipitation

• groundwater

• water cycle

A movement of weathered rock pieces from one place to another

• erosion

• weathering

• landforms

• revolution

When the Earth spins on its axis one time creating a day

• revolution

• rotation

• longitude

• latitude