Earth Science Vocabulary Words

ablation

abnormal

abrasion

abrupt

absolute

absolute magnitude

absolute zero

absorb

absorption spectrum

abundant

abyssal

accessory

accompanying

accretion

accumulate

accumulated

accumulation

acid

acid rain

acidic

action

active

adiabatic

adjacent

adjustment

advection

aerosol

agent

aggregate

air mass

albedo

alloy

alluvial

alluvial fan

alluvium

alpha

Alpha Centauri

alternate

alternative

alternative energy

altitude

altostratus

aluminum

amplify

anaerobic

analysis

anemometer

aneroid

angular

anion

antecedent

anticlinal

anticyclone

anticyclonic

anvil

aphelion

apogee

apparent

approximately

aquifer

area

argon

array

artesian

artificial

assign

asteroid

asthenosphere

astronomer

astronomical

astronomy

atmosphere

atmospheric

atmospheric pressure

atoll

atom

atomic

aurora

aurora borealis

automatic

avalanche

average

axis

bacteria

barometer

barrier

barrier island

barrier reef

basal

batholith

bedrock

benefit

big bang

big bang theory

biological

biomass

biome

bioremediation

biosphere

bitumen

black hole

black ice

blackbody

blizzard

blowout

blue star

boil

boiling point

bolide

boulder

Brahe

breccia

brittle

broad

butte

calcium

calcium carbonate

caldera

calorie

calving

capacity

capillary

capillary action

capsule

carbon

carbon atom

carbon dioxide

carbonate

cascade

cataclysmic

catalyst

cation

cavern

celestial

celestial body

celestial sphere

Celsius

Cenozoic

center

CFC

chain reaction

chamber

channel

channels

character

chart

chemical

chemical bond

chemist

chert

chlorine

chlorofluorocarbon

chromosphere

cirque

cirrus

clastic

clastic rock

cleavage

climate

clipper

CO2

coast

cold front

collapse

collide

column

coma

comet

competence

component

compose

composite

compound

compress

compression

concentration

concentric

concerted

condensation

condense

conduction

cone

confined

confining

conformable

consecutive

consist

conspicuous

constant

constellation

constituent

constitute

consumption

contact

contain

continent

continental drift

continental shelf

continental slope

continuous

contour

contour line

control rod

convection

convergence

convergent

converted

convex

core

Coriolis effect

corona

correlation

cosmic

cosmic ray

Crater

crater

craton

creep

Cretaceous

crevasse

crystalline

cumulonimbus

cumulus

current

cycle

cyclical

cyclone

cyclonic

data

debris

decay

decompose

decomposition

decrease

define

defined

definition

deflation

deflect

degree

delta

demise

demonstration

dense

density

deposit

deposition

depression

descend

describe

desert

desertification

develop

Devonian

dew

dew point

diameter

differential

differentiated

diffuse

dinosaur

dioxide

direction

discordant

disk

displace

dissolve

distort

distributary

distribution

divergence

divergent

diversion

divide

division

doldrums

dome

Doppler

Doppler effect

dormant

downstream

drain

drainage basin

drift

dripstone

drizzle

drought

drumlin

dune

duration

dust bowl

earth

earthquake

earthy

eccentric

eccentricity

echo sounder

eclipse

ecliptic

economical

economically

edge

effect

Einstein

eject

El Nino

elastic

electrical

electromagnetic

electromagnetic radiation

electromagnetic spectrum

electromagnetic wave

electron

electronic

element

elements

ellipsis

elliptical

elongate

emergent

emission

emission spectrum

emit

energy

entire

entry

environment

environmental

eon

epicenter

epidemiology

epoch

equal

equator

equilibrium

equinox

equivalence

era

erode

eroded

erosion

erratic

erupt

eruption

eruptive

escape velocity

esker

estuary

eutrophic

evacuate

evaporate

evaporative

event

exceed

excess

exert

exosphere

expand

exposure

extend

extinct

extinction

Fahrenheit

fan

faucet

feature

fine-grained

fine-tune

fission

fissure

flammable

flint

flood

flood plain

fluid

fluorine

focus

formula

fossil

fracture

friction

fuel

fundamental

fundamental particle

fuse

fusion

galaxy

gamma

gaseous

gear

geocentric

geologic

geologic time

geological

geologist

geology

geothermal

gigantic

glacial

glacier

global

globe

glossary

grade

grading

grain

gravitational

gravitational field

gravity

ground level

ground water

H2O

heat energy

heavenly body

hemisphere

high frequency

high-level

horizon

humid

humidity

hurricane

hydrocarbon

hydroelectric

hydrogen

hydroxide

hypothesis

hypothetical

iceberg

identical

igneous

igneous rock

imbalance

impact

impermeable

inclined

include

indicate

infinitely

influence

inhabit

initial

injection

instrument

interact

interaction

interior

intermediate

interplanetary

interstellar

interval

intrude

intrusive

inversion

invisible

ion

ionized

isolated

isotope

jagged

jet

jet stream

Johannes Kepler

Jupiter

Kelvin

Kepler

lagoon

lahar

land mass

landslide

lapse

lava

layer

layered

leach

leading edge

levee

level

liberation

light year

light-year

linkage

liquid

lithosphere

location

low density

low frequency

low-grade

luminous

lunar

lunar eclipse

magma

magnesium

magnetic

magnetic field

magnetism

magnitude

major

mar

margin

marine

Mars

matrix

maximum

measure

mechanical

mechanism

melt

meltwater

mercury

mesa

mesosphere

Mesozoic

metal

metamorphic

metamorphic rock

metamorphism

meteorite

meteorology

meter

microcrystalline

microorganism

millibar

mineral

modified

modify

moisture

molecular

molecule

molten

Moon

moraine

motion

muddy

narrow

natural gas

nebula

negative

negative charge

net

neutron

newton

nickel

nitrate

nitrogen

normally

northern lights

nuclear

nuclear fission

nuclear fuel

nuclear fusion

nucleus

nutrient

object

observe

occur

ocean floor

oceanic

opposite

orbit

ore

organic

organism

orientation

orifice

oxide

oxygen

ozone

ozone hole

ozone layer

pahoehoe

parallel

parsec

particle

pascal

passive

pattern

percent

perfect gas

period

periodically

permeable

petroleum

Phanerozoic

phase

phosphate

photosphere

physic

physicist

physics

pinwheel

plain

planet

planetary

plate tectonics

plutonic

polar

pollution

pore

porous

portion

positively

positively charged

postulate

potion

precipitate

precipitation

predominantly

present

primarily

principal

prior

process

projected

prolong

psychrometer

Ptolemy

radar

radiation

radiator

radio wave

radioactive

radioactive decay

rainfall

rainstorm

range

ranging

rapid

rare

rate

ratio

react

reaction

reactor

recent

recharge

record

reduce

reflect

reflectivity

region

relative humidity

relativity

release

removal

removed

repose

resemble

resource

respect

retrograde

reverse

rock salt

rod

rotate

rotation

rupture

saturated

saturation

scale

sea floor

sea level

sediment

sedimentary

sedimentary rock

seismic

semiarid

sensor

separate

series

several

shallow

shape

shoreline

sickness

significant

signified

signify

silica

silicate

silt

similar

sink

skeleton

slope

snowfall

soil

solar

solar eclipse

solar energy

solar system

solar wind

solid

soluble

solution

sound wave

source

span

sparse

specific

spectrum

speed of light

sphere

spherical

split

spring

spring equinox

squall

squall line

stalactite

stalagmite

standard pressure

stationary

steep

stratified

stratify

stratosphere

stratus

stream

streamer

stress

structure

subdivision

subduction

subsurface

sufficient

sulfide

surface

surround

suspend

suspended

technical

technique

tectonic

tectonics

temperature

temporarily

terminus

terrain

Tertiary

theoretically

theory

theory of relativity

thermal

thermometer

thick

thrive

thunderstorm

tidal

tidewater

tilt

topographic

topography

topsoil

tract

transfer

transmit

transmitted

transparent

transport

trigger

tropical

troposphere

tuff

turbulent

typical

ultimate

ultimately

ultraviolet

unconsolidated

undefined

underlie

uneven

universe

upper mantle

valley

vapor

vapor pressure

variation

vary

varying

velocity

vent

vernal

vertical

vicinity

visibility

visible

volcanic

volcano

volume

wastage

water level

water table

wave

wavelength

wax

weather

Wegener

wetland

whistle

white dwarf

wind

wispy

withstand

zero