Earth’s Materials Vocabulary Sheet
Vocabulary
Definition
Examples
water that is not salty
freshwater
crust
the outermost layer of Earth,
thinnest layer, and the layer
on which we live
continents
seven very large areas of
land that make up
continental crust
lithosphere
solid rocky material made up
of Earth’s crust and upper
part of the mantle
mineral
a solid, nonliving material
found in the ground
property
a quality, such as color or
hardness of a mineral
rock
igneous rock
a solid, nonliving material
made up of one or more
minerals
a rock that starts as melted
rock deep inside Earth
melted rock
magma
lava
sedimentary rock
melted rock that reaches
Earth’s surface
a rock that forms in flat
layers over a long period of
time
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Earth’s Materials Vocabulary Sheet
Vocabulary
sediment
metamorphic rock
Definition
Examples
loose pieces of rock, sand,
or pebbles
a rock that is formed by heat
and pressure deep inside
Earth
humus
a dark-colored material of
soil made up of remains of
dead plants and animals
that break down into small
bits
topsoil
top layer of soil; contains
humus; plants grow in this
layer
surface features
landforms
processes that wear Earth’s
destructive processes surface down
weathering
soil
erosion
glaciers
the breaking down of rock at
or near Earth’s surface
small pieces of rock along
with material from living
things
the process by which
weathered rock is picked up
and moved
huge sheets of ice that
move slowly over land
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Earth’s Materials Vocabulary Sheet
Vocabulary
Definition
earthquake
a destructive process where
pressure builds up in rock
causing the rocks to break
and move suddenly and the
ground shakes
volcano
constructive
processes
deposition
delta
an opening in Earth’s
surface that lets hot, melted
rock and gases escape
(destructive process)
a process that builds Earth’s
surfaces up
the dropping of material by
water, wind, or glacier
(constructive)
a flat piece of land
(constructive)
floodplain
a wide, flat area of land
formed by sediment carried
by water overflow
(constructive)
dune
a hill of sand deposited by
wind (constructive)
moraine
a ridge of rock and soil
deposited when a glacier
melts (constructive)
fault
Examples
a break in the rock that
makes up Earth’s crust
(constructive)
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