Lesson 1 – Key Terms

Learning a new branch of science includes learning lots of new vocabulary. In one sense, science is just applying specific words to describe different aspects of God’s creation. The act of naming the creation started with Adam in the garden and continues up to this day.

Earth and space science will introduce you to a lot of new words. It will likely be difficult at first, but as you learn the vocabulary, the material will actually be easier to understand.

At the end of each chapter is a key word list. Since some chapters are spread over multiple lessons, we have tried to divide them into the words relevant to that lesson. The words can be found in the glossary and/or the textbook.

Please write down each word and definition in your Key Words notebook. This may seem laborious at first, but the process of reading and writing them down will help you remember them. There will be a quiz after each step where you can test your new vocabulary.

• Asthenosphere – A plastic-like layer in Earth about 125 km deep resting just below the lithosphere. The lithosphere slides on the asthenosphere in plate tectonics.
• Astronomy – The branch of science dedicating to understanding the nature of space and the stars, planets, moons, and other objects within it.
• Atmosphere – The mixture of gasses that surround Earth, primarily composed of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon with smaller amounts of other gases.
• Biosphere – All life forms on Earth, and the interactions between them.
• Core (outer and inner) – The innermost part of Earth, divided into an outer layer and an inner layer and composed primarily of iron and nickel.
• Crust (continental and oceanic) – The uppermost layer of Earth consisting of granitic continental material and basaltic ocean floor.
• Dominion mandate – The role given by God to people to rule over and care for the creation.
• Earth Science – A collection of related disciplines that together give a unified understanding of the planet and its context in space. Disciplines within Earth science include astronomy, biology, geology, hydrology, meteorology, and oceanography.
• Earth systems science – An approach to Earth science that focuses on the interactions and feedbacks both within and among the Earth science disciplines.
• Experimental science – Approaches to investigation that include controlled conditions in which a hypothesis is tested in a repeatable fashion.
• Eyewitness testimony – Records of event made by those who observed them.
• Geology – The branch of Earth science that studies the solid earth, including its materials, processes, and history.
• Geosphere – The solid components of Earth.
• Historical science – Investigations into events that occurred just one time in the past.
• Hydrology – A branch of science that deals with the properties and flow of water.
• Hydrosphere – All the water of Earth’s surface.
• Hypothesis – A possible explanation for some event of observation.
• Interface – A point of contact between two different systems.
• Lithosphere – The upper rigid portion of Earth consisting of the crust and part of the mantle. It rests on the asthenosphere and makes up Earth’s plates (that move in plate tectonics).
• Mantle – The part of Earth that rests between the crust and the core.
• Meteorology – The scientific study of the atmosphere and its processes. This includes both weather and climate.
• Naturalistic evolution – A theory of Earth history in which the universe and life arose by unguided processes.
• Oceanography – A branch of science that studies the world’s oceans. Includes both physical and biological areas.
• Old-Earth creation – A theory of Earth history in which God played an active role in creating the universe, Earth, and life over a span of billions of years.
• Proved reserve – A quantity of resources that is known to exist and can be recovered economically.
• Reserve – A resource that has a good likelihood of existing in a resource area, and might be recovered.
• Resource (renewable and non-renewable) – Any material that can be used by people. Resources may be renewable or non-renewable.
• Scientific methods – A group of activities used by scientists to investigate the world, build and test hypotheses, and theories.
• Spheres – The four major divisions of Earth: atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.
• System – A group of interacting parts that together form up a complex and independent unit.
• Theistic evolution – A theory of Earth history in which God created the universe, Earth, and life over a span of billions of years using natural processes.
• Young-Earth creation – A theory of Earth history in which God played an active role in creating the universe, Earth, and life in six days about 6000 years ago.