Vocabulary Flashcards - Chapter 8: History of Life

Front

What is the thin layer of rock that forms Earth’s outer surface on land and in the ocean?

Back

crust

Front

What is the layer of very hot but mostly solid rock beneath Earth’s crust?

Back

mantle

Front

What is the sphere of Earth made up of the hard rock on and just below Earth’s surface; the outermost layer of both Earth and its geosphere?

Back

lithosphere

Front

What is the layer of Earth below the mantle?

Back

core

Front

What are the geologic processes, such as continental drift, volcanoes, and earthquakes, resulting from plate movement?

Back

plate tectonics

Front

What are the physical and chemical processes that break down rocks and minerals into smaller particles?

Back

weathering

Front

Method of determining the age of a fossil by comparing its placement with that of fossils in other rock layers.

Back

relative dating

Front

What is a distinctive fossil that is used to compare the relative ages of fossils?

Back

index fossil

Front

Method for determining the age of a sample from the amount of radioactive isotope to the nonradioactive isotope of the same element in a sample.

Back

radiometric dating

Front

What is the length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay?

Back

half-life