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A - Atom

An atom is the basic unit of a chemical element. An atom is made up of 

protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons have a positive charge, neutrons 

have a neutral charge, which means they have no charge, and electrons have a 

negative charge. The protons and neutrons are in the middle of an atom, 

called the nucleus. The electrons float on the outside in the electron cloud. 

Atoms are the building block of all matter. The amount of protons an atom 

has varies. The atom is the smallest object of all matter.

B - Beryllium

Beryllium is the chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic 

number 4. It is a divalent element which only occurs naturally in 

combination with other elements in minerals. Notable gemstones which 

contain beryllium include beryl (aquamarine, emerald) and chrysoberyl. 

As a free element it is a steel-gray, strong, lightweight and brittle 

alkaline earth metal. Beryllium is primarily used as a hardening agent in 

alloys, notably beryllium copper. Beryllium has exceptional flexural 

rigidity (Young's modulus 287 GPA) and a reasonably high melting point. 

The modulus of elasticity of beryllium is approximately 50% greater than 

that of steel. Beryllium has a large scattering cross section for high-

energy neutrons.

C - Crust

The crust is the outer layer of the Earth. The Crust is about 25 

miles thick beneath continents. It is about 6.5 miles thick 

beneath oceans. The crust is relatively light and hard, but 

liable to break or shatter easily. The crust is made primarily of 

Granite and Basalt. The Oceanic Crust covers about 60% of the 

Earth's Surface. The Continental Crust covers about 40% of 

the Earth's Surface. The

crust can be thicker than 80 kilo-

meters. 

D - Decompose

Decompose means to decay or become rotten. If something decomposes, it 

seperates into components or basic elements. Decomposition is the process 

by which organic material is broken down into simpler forms of matter. The 

process is essential for recycling the finite matter that occupies physical 

space in the biome. Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly 

after death. Although no two organisms decompose in the same way, they 

all undergo the same sequential stages of decomposition.   One can 

differentiate abiotic and biotic decomposition or biodegradation.Five general 

stages are used

 to describe the process of decomposition: 

Fresh, Bloat, Active and Advanced Decay, and

Dry/Remains. 

E - Element

An element is one of the parts of which something is made up. 

Elements are considered to be the component parts of all 

forms of matter. An element is composed of one atom. The 

periodic table of elements contains the 109 elements that we 

already know of. An element is a pure chemical substance. 

You can find an element's name, mass, atomic number, and 

symbol on the periodic table. It is possible for an element to 

decompose.   

F - Fusion

Fusion is the process or result of joining two or more things 

together. Fusion occurs naturally in all active stars. Fusion of lighter 

nuclei into heavier nuclei leads to loss of mass when the energy of 

binding is removed (this energy carries away the lost mass). The 

fusion of lighter elements in stars releases energy. It takes 

considerable energy to force nuclei to fuse, even those of the 

lightest element. Fusion reactions power the stars and produce 

virtually all elements. Energy released in most nuclear reactions is 

much larger than in chemical reactions.

G - Geologist

A geologist is a specialist in geology. Geologists

study the solid and liquid matter that makes

up the Earth. Geologists, compared to scientists 

engaged in other fields, are generally more exposed 

to the outdoors than staying in laboratories. 

Geologists are engaged in exploration for mining 

companies in search of metals, oils, and other Earth 

resources. They are also in the forefront of natural 

hazards and disasters warning and mitigation, studying earthquakes, volcanic 

activity, tsunamis, weather storms, and other things. Currently, geologists are 

also the scientists most engaged in the discussion of climate change. Their 

training typically includes significant coursework in physics, mathematics, and 

chemistry, in addition to classes offered through the geology department. 

Geology students often spend portions of the year, especially the summer 

though sometimes during a January term, living and working under field 

conditions with faculty members.

H - Humus

Humus is the organic component of soil, formed by the decomposition of leaves and 

other plant material by soil microorganisms. In agriculture, humus is sometimes also 

used to describe mature compost, or natural compost extracted from a forest or other 

spontaneous source for use. It is also used to describe a topsoil horizon that contains 

organic matter.   The process of "humification" can occur naturally in soil, or in the 

production of compost. The importance of chemically stable humus is thought by 

some to be the fertility it provides to soils in both a physical and chemical senses, 

though some agricultural experts put a greater focus on other features of it. Compost 

that is readily capable of further decomposition is sometimes referred to as effective 

or active humus, though scientists would say that, if it is not stable, it is not humus at 

all. The most stable humus is that formed from the slow oxidation of black carbon.

I - Igneous Rock

Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of 

magma or lava. Igneous rock may form with or without 

crystallization. Intrusive igneous rocks are formed from magma that 

cools and solidifies within the crust of a planet. Extrusive igneous 

rocks are formed at the crust's surface as a result of the partial 

melting of rocks within the mantle and crust. Extrusive Igneous 

rocks cool and solidify quicker than intrusive igneous rocks. Since 

the rocks cool very quickly they are fine grained. Igneous rocks are 

classified according to mode of occurrence, texture, mineralogy, 

chemical composition, and the geometry of the igneous body.The 

classification of the many types of different igneous rocks can 

provide us with important information about the conditions under 

which they formed.

J - Jupiter

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the 

Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass slightly less than one-

thousandth of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other 

planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant 

along with Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Together, these four planets are 

sometimes referred to as the Jovian or outer planets.The planet was known 

by astronomers of ancient times and was associated with the mythology and 

religious beliefs of many cultures. The Romans named the planet after the 

Roman god Jupiter. When viewed from Earth, Jupiter can reach an apparent 

magnitude of −2.94, making it on average the third-brightest object in the 

night sky after the Moon and Venus. Jupiter is primarily composed of 

hydrogen with a quarter of its mass being helium.

K - Kinetic Energy

The kinetic energy of an object is the energy which it possesses due to its motion. It 

is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its 

stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains 

this kinetic energy unless its speed changes. The same amount of work is done by the 

body in decelerating from its current speed to a state of rest. Kinetic energy may be 

best understood by examples that demonstrate how it is transformed to and from 

other forms of energy. The speed, and thus the kinetic energy of a single object is 

frame-dependent (relative): it can take any non-negative value, by choosing a 

suitable inertial frame of reference. For example, a bullet passing an observer has 

kinetic energy in the reference frame of this observer, but the same bullet is 

stationary, and so has zero kinetic energy, from the point of view of an observer 

moving with the same velocity as the bullet. By contrast, the total kinetic energy of a 

system of objects cannot be reduced to zero by a suitable choice of the inertial 

reference frame, unless all the objects have the same velocity.

L - Lithosphere

The The thickness of the lithosphere is considered to be the depth to the isotherm 

associated with the transition between brittle and viscous behavior. The temperature 

at which olivine begins to deform viciously (~1000°C) is often used to set this 

isotherm because olivine is generally the weakest mineral in the upper mantle. 

Oceanic lithosphere is typically about 50–100 km thick (but beneath the mid-ocean 

ridges is no thicker than the crust), while continental lithosphere has a range in 

thickness from about 40 km to perhaps 200 km; the upper ~30 to ~50 km of typical 

continental lithosphere is crust.temperature at which olivine begins to deform 

viciously (~1000°C) is often used to set this isotherm because olivine is generally the 

weakest mineral in the upper mantle. Oceanic lithosphere is typically about 50–100 

km thick (but beneath the mid-ocean ridges is no thicker than the crust), while 

continental lithosphere has a range in thickness from about 40 km to perhaps 200 

km; the upper ~30 to ~50 km of typical continental lithosphere is crust.

M - Metamorphic Rock

Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a 

process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". They are also formed 

when rock is heated up by the intrusion of hot molten rock called magma from the 

Earth's interior. The study of metamorphic rocks provides information about the 

temperatures and pressures that occur at great depths within the Earth's crust. Some 

examples of metamorphic rocks are gneiss, slate, marble, schist, and quartzite. 

Metamorphic minerals are those that form only at the high temperatures and 

pressures associated with the process of metamorphism. These minerals, known as 

index minerals, include sillimanite, kyanite, staurolite, andalusite, and some 

garnet.Other minerals, such as olivines, pyroxenes, amphiboles, micas, feldspars, and 

quartz, may be found in metamorphic rocks, but are not necessarily the result of the 

process of metamorphism. These minerals formed during the crystallization of igneous 

rocks.

N - Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic 

mass 14.00674. Many industrially important compounds, such as ammonia, nitric acid, 

organic nitrates (propellants and explosives), and cyanides, contain nitrogen. The 

extremely strong bond in elemental nitrogen dominates nitrogen chemistry, causing 

difficulty for both organisms and industry in breaking the bond to convert the N2 into 

useful compounds, but at the same time causing release of large amounts of often 

useful energy when the compounds burn, explode, or decay back into nitrogen gas. 

Nitrogen occurs in all living organisms, and the nitrogen cycle describes movement of 

the element from air into the biosphere and organic compounds, then back into the 

atmosphere.   Nitrogen is a constituent element of amino acids and thus of proteins and 

nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). It resides in the chemical structure of almost all 

neurotransmitters, and is a defining component of alkaloids, biological molecules 

produced by many organisms. The human body contains about 3% by weight of 

nitrogen, a larger fraction than all elements save oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. 

Nitrogen is formally considered to have been discovered by Daniel Rutherford in 1772, 

who called it noxious air or fixed air.

O - Oxygen

Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Oxygen 

is a member of the chalcogen group on the periodic table, and is a highly reactive 

nonmetallic element that readily forms compounds with almost all other elements. By 

mass, oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen and 

helium, and the most abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust, making up almost 

half of the crust's mass. Free oxygen is too chemically reactive to appear on Earth 

without the photosynthetic action of living organisms, which use the energy of sunlight 

to produce elemental oxygen from water. Elemental O2 only began to accumulate in the 

atmosphere after the evolutionary appearance of these organisms, roughly 2.5 billion 

years ago. Because it comprises most of the mass in water, oxygen comprises most of 

the mass of living organisms. All major classes of structural molecules in living 

organisms, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, contain oxygen, as do the major 

inorganic compounds that comprise animal shells, teeth, and bone. Elemental oxygen is 

produced by cyanobacteria, algae and plants, and is used in cellular respiration for all 

complex life.

P - Pangaea

Pangaea was the super continent that existed during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras 

about 250 million years ago, before the component continents were separated into their 

current configuration. The name was coined during a 1926 symposium discussing Alfred 

Wegener's theory of continental drift. In his book The Origin of Continents and Oceans 

first published in 1915, he postulated that all the continents had at one time formed a 

single super continent which he called the "Urkontinent", before later breaking up and 

drifting to their present locations. The single enormous ocean which surrounded 

Pangaea was accordingly named Panthalassa. The breaking up and formation of super 

continents appear to be cyclical through Earth's 4.6 billion year history. There may have 

been several others before Pangaea. Fossil evidence for Pangaea includes the presence 

of similar and identical species on continents that are now great distances apart. For 

example, fossils of the therapsid Lystrosaurus have been found in South Africa, India 

and Australia.

Q - Quasars

A quasi-stellar radio source ("quasar") is a very energetic and distant active galactic 

nucleus. Quasars are among the most luminous objects in the universe. Quasars were 

first identified as being high redshift sources of electromagnetic energy, Quasars show 

a very high redshift, which is an effect of the expansion of the universe between the 

quasar and the Earth.[1] They are the most luminous, powerful, and energetic objects 

known in the universe. They tend to inhabit the very centers of active young galaxies 

and can emit up to a thousand times the energy output of the Milky Way. When 

combined with Hubble's law, the implication of the redshift is that the quasars are very 

distant—and thus, it follows, objects from much earlier in the universe's history. The 

most luminous quasars radiate at a rate that can exceed the output of average 

galaxies, equivalent to one trillion (1012) suns.

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