Antarctica: The southernmost continent in the world, mostly covered in ice.
Atomic Clock: A timing device that relies on the frequency of microwave radiation from excited atoms. For example, for the cesium atom, that frequency is 9,192,631,770 Hertz (or cycles/oscillations per second). Many common devices, such as mobile phones, computers, and GPS satellite receivers, rely on the high precision of atomic clocks to reset the time periodically (called synchronization).
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC): The successor to Greenwich Mean Time (previously known as Standard Time). UTC is the time set in a location. For example, Greenwich in the UK is UTC-0. Other time zones are measured by how many hours their clocks (or times) deviate from UTC-0. Greenwich Mean Time was a 24-hour clock that ran from midnight one day to midnight the next. In contrast, UTC can also be measured from noon to noon.
core: Something usually round in shape that is at the center of an object; (in geology) the innermost layer of the earth.
pull: The slowing force exerted by air or other fluids around a moving object. It involves friction, but unlike simple friction, it increases with the object's speed.
earthquakeAs a result of tectonic or volcanic activity, the ground shakes suddenly, sometimes violently, sometimes causing great destruction.
element: Something that plays a role in a particular situation or event. Contributor.
frictionFriction: The resistance that a surface or object experiences when moving over or through another substance (such as a liquid or gas). Friction generally causes heating and can damage the surface of one substance as it rubs against another.
GreenlandThe world's largest island, Greenland, sits between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. Although it's technically part of North America (just east of northern Canada), it’s politically tied to Europe. In June 2009, Greenland became an independent country. Roughly 80% of Greenland is covered in ice. In fact, Greenland’s ice sheet is the largest in the world. If its frozen waters melted, it could raise sea levels around the world by 6 meters (about 20 feet). Greenland is the 12th largest country (based on area), but it has the smallest population per square kilometer, on average.
ice sheet: A large layer of ice that can be several kilometers deep. Currently, ice sheets cover most of Antarctica. They also cover most of Greenland. During the last glacial period, ice sheets also covered large parts of North America and Europe.
size: (geology) A number used to describe the relative size of an earthquake. It ranges from 1 to 8 or more and is calculated by the maximum ground motion recorded by a seismograph. There are several scales of magnitude. One of the most commonly used scales today is moment magnitude. It is based on the size of the fault (crack in the Earth's crust), how much the fault slips (moves) during the earthquake, and the energy force that was required to allow that movement. For every increase in magnitude, an earthquake produces 10 times the ground motion and releases about 32 times the energy. For reference, a magnitude 8 earthquake can release the energy equivalent to detonating 6 million tons of TNT.
mass: A number that indicates how much an object resists acceleration or deceleration. It is essentially a measure of how much material the object is made of.
Oceanography: (adjective: oceanography) The branch of science that deals with the physical and biological properties and phenomena of the oceans. People who work in this field are known as oceanographers.
satellite: A satellite that orbits a planet, or a vehicle or other man-made object that orbits a celestial body in space.
standard: (in research) a value or material used as a standard against which something else is compared. For example, a clock attempts to match the second, the official standard measure of time calculated by official atomic clocks. Similarly, scientists try to identify a particular chemical by checking its properties against a known standard.
strategy: A thoughtful and clever plan for achieving a difficult or challenging goal.
system: A network of parts working together to accomplish some function. System can also apply to a process or idea that is part of some way or ordered series of steps to complete a task.
Source: www.snexplores.org
