Earth Science – Terms and Definitions G1 The Earth - Earth Sciences -The Scientific Method direct observation Information received by one or more of the senses. instrument A tool used to extend our senses when making observations. indirect observation An observation that requires the use of an instrument. data A collection of observations. classifying Grouping similar objects or events. physical property A feature of a substance in itself. chemical property A feature of the way one substance reacts with another substance. inference An interpretation of observations. hypothesis Possible answer to a problem, based on observations. theory Explanation based on strong evidence that several generally accepted hypotheses are correct. / An explanation for observed phenomena that has a high possibility of being true. (Pl) lithosphere The rigid outer shell of the earth, 70 to 125 or more kilometers thick. hydrosphere The entire liquid or water part of the earth. atmosphere Envelope of gasses surrounding the Earth, held by gravity. The blanket of air, dust, water droplets, ice particles, etc. that completely covers the earth's lithosphere and hydrosphere. biosphere The region where all life is found. crust The outer layer of rock, forming a thin skin over the earth´s lithosphere. mantle A thick shell of rock that separates the earth´s crust above from the core below. geology The science concerned with the earth's lithosphere. petrology The part of geology that specializes in rocks. hydrology The science concerned with the earth's entire hydrosphere. meteorology The science concerned with the earth's atmosphere. oceanography The science concerned with the oceans. astronomy The science concerned with stars and planets. Measuring Circumference The distance around a circle or ball. Density The mass of 1 cm^3 of a material. Derived unit A unit of measure obtained from two or more base units. Diameter A straight line that crosses a circle through the center. Formula A group of symbols that make a mathematical statement. (vzoreček) A representation of a substance using symbols for its constitutional elements. Mass (hmotnost) The amount of material in something (the same everywhere). Radius - pl. radii The distance from the center to the edge of a circle. SI Initials for International System of Units. Volume The amount of space that an object takes up or can be filled with. Weight The pull of gravity on nearby objects. Numbers and Fractions Numbers: ordinal (1,2,3) cardinal (1.,2.,3.,) even (2,4,6..) odd (1, 3, 5..) threefold - trojnásobný; double, triple, quadraple = dvojitý, trojitý, čtverný Numerals: Arabic (1,2,3) Roman (II, VII) Fractions: a half (1/2), a third (1/3) , a fourth/a quarter (1/4), one fifth (1/5), one tenth, also 5/7 five divided by seven; decimal point (= DESETINNÁ ČÁRKA!) Symbols: percent, infinity, (not)equal to, greater than, less than Operations: addition (+ plus) – result/answer; subtraction (- minus) - remainder (zbytek) multiplication (x multiplied by, times); division (: divided by) power = mocnina; 4^2 = four squared, ^ 4^ 3 = four cubed 2^3 = 8 two raised to the power of three equals eight root (square/cube/fourth) = odmocnina (druhá, třetí, čtvrtá) Geometry Draw the lines, angles and shapes: Lines: straight parallel curved spiral perpendicular Angles: right obtuse (tupý) acute (ostrý) Shapes: square rectangle (obdélník) rhombus (kosočtverec) parallelogram (rovnoběžník) diagonal (uhlopříčka) triangle – base (základna) circle – circumference(obvod) arc (oblouk) diameter (průměr) radius (poloměr) Three-dimensional shapes: cube sphere cone pyramid cylinder Form adjectives by -ic/ical or -al: Remember the expressions with the stress on the second syllable: obtuse, acute, diagonal, triangle, rectangle, diameter, circumference, subtract Check the correct pronunciation: Arabic, Roman, equal, quotient, radius, sphere, cylinder, the thousandth, curved, angle, subtract. Wide – width – widen, deep –depth – deepen, high – height [ai], to weigh – weight [ei], strong – strength(en), long – length(en) Mapping the Earth´s Surface compass An instrument for locating magnetic north. contour interval Difference between contour lines. contour line Line indicating the same elevation. elevation / altitude Height above sea level. (400 m a.s.l.) equator Line that circles the earth at 0° latitude. globe A physical model of the earth. graphic scale of distances Line divided into units of distance. hachures Short lines that indicate direction of slope. latitude Distance north or south of the equator. longitude Distance east or west of the prime meridian. magnetic declination Distance from true to magnetic north. magnetic north Direction toward the North Magnetic Pole. map projection An attempt to represent the earth´s curved surface on a flat surface. map A flat representation of the earth´s surface. meridian A north-south line that crosses the equator. North Geographic Pole Point where all meridians meet. North Magnetic Pole The North Pole indicated by a compass. parallel East-west line parallel to the equator. prime meridian The imaginary north-south line that passes through Greenwich, England. scale Ratio of map distances and actual distances. topographic map A map that shows land features. topography Elevations and shapes of land features. true north Direction toward the North Geographic Pole. Sources: Robert E. Fariel, Robert W. Hinds, David B.Berey: Earth Science, Addison-Wesley (AW) Plummer, Ch. - McGeary, D. - Carlson, D.: Physical Geology, Earth Revealed, The McGraw-Hill Companies 2001 (Pl) Strahler, A.: Introducing Physical Geography, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2003 (St) Lingea Lexicon 5, 2010 (L), Longman and Webster dictionaries Earth Materials Minerals matter Anything that takes up space and has mass. atom The smallest complete part of an element with all the properties of that element. element A substance that contains only one kind of atom, designated by its atomic number compound A substance made up of two or more elements joined together in fixed proportions. impurities Atoms of elements other than the key elements of a mineral. mineral A compound that is natural, inorganic, a crystalline solid, and made up of key elements. crystalline solid A solid substance whose atoms are locked together into fixed patterns. A substance in which the atoms are arranged in a regular, repeating, orderly pattern. (Pl) inorganic Not organic; formed, for the most part, without the help of plants and animals. crystal The shape produced when mineral grains have freedom to form in any direction. silicate minerals Minerals containing silicon and oxygen. heft A rough-estimate weight test for minerals. specific gravity The ratio of the mass of a substance to the mass of an equal volume of water, determined at a specified temperature. cleavage The ability of a mineral to break into smooth, parallel surfaces. luster The way that a mineral reflects the light. streak The color of the powder of a mineral against a white background. fracture The manner in which a mineral breaks (that does not have cleavage). Rocks rock A mixture of minerals that is beneath all soil and water on the earth's surface. [Naturally formed, consolidated material composed of grains of one or more minerals.] (There are a few exceptions to this definition.) (Pl) igneous rock Rock that is formed from solidification of magma (hot melted materials). lava What magma is called after it reaches the surface of the earth. magma Liquid rock melt that is found in some places beneath the earth's surface. sedimentary rock Rock that is formed from sediments. bed A layer of sedimentary rock that is marked off above and below by surfaces that can be seen and is made up of material that is the same in all its parts. bedding-plane A surface that is parallel to the original surface on which the sediment was deposited. metamorphic rock Rock that is formed deep within the earth's crust when minerals and rocks are changed by very great heat and pressure which changes the crystal structure. mineral composition A list of the minerals that make up a rock. texture The pattern made by the size, shape, and arrangement of the particles that are in rock. rock cycle The process by which rock is changed from one class to another. Using Earth Materials ore Any mineral or rock from which a needed substance can be removed cheaply enough and easily enough. (ruda) mine The place that ore comes from. hanging wall The upper wall of an inclined fault. (nadložní kra zlomu,v hornictví strop) footwall The lower wall of an inclined fault. (podložní kra zlomu, v hornictví počva) adit A nearly horizonatal passage from the surface into a mine. (štola) shaft A vertical passage into a mine. (šachta, jáma) quarry A place where stone is dug out of the ground. (lom) fossil fuels Fuels formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived and died long ago. petroleum A liquid fossil fuel. natural gas A fossil fuel that is a gas. trap A kind of blockage formed by nonporous rock that traps petroleum and natural gas. Reservoir Beds in which oil accumulates. petrochemicals Chemical products made from petroleum. coal A solid fossil fuel. peat A type of soil consisting of decaying plants that can also be used as fuel. A brown, lightweight, unconsolidated or semi-consolidated deposit of plant remains. (Pl) deposit A natural accumalation (as of iron ore, coal, or gas). ( ložisko) hydrothermal deposit A mineral deposit produced by liquids coming from magma that contain a large proportion of hot water. placer An alluvial or glacial deposit containing particles of valuable mineral and especially of gold. (Webster) = rýžoviště/rozsypové ložisko (PH) A heap produced during gold panning. (Longman) vein/lode A thin mass of rock or a mineral, especially a thin ore body. (žíla) Borehole A hole drilled into the Earth for oil, gas, water, etc. or to gain information about the rocks below the surface. Drill / well-logging The use of physical measurements from instruments lowered down boreholes to obtain information about the rocks below the surface (dokumentace vrtu). Permeability A measure of the ease with which a fluid can pass through a rock. hydroelectric energy Electricity produced by generators powered by moving water. geothermal energy Energy powered by heat from deep within the earth's crust. atomic energy Energy that is derived from the atoms of certain earth materials. fission Atomic energy that is produced when certain large, unstable atoms are made to split apart to form atoms of a different element. fusion Atomic energy that is produced when atoms of an element are joined together to form atoms of a different element. Sources: Robert E. Fariel, Robert W. Hinds, David B.Berey: Earth Science, Addison-Wesley (AW) Plummer, Ch. - McGeary, D. - Carlson, D.: Physical Geology, Earth Revealed, The McGraw-Hill 2001 (Pl) Strahler, A.: Introducing Physical Geography, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2003 (St) Lingea Lexicon 5, 2010 (L), Longman and Webster dictionaries