Earth & Space Science Roots

Table 1.13  Roots, prefixes and suffixes in earth and space science - From the Sourcebook for Teaching Science

-al               relating to - geological, alluvial, astronomical, terrestrial, altitudinal

                        The U.S. Geological Survey examines issues related to the topography and resources of the Earth.

alt               high - altocumulus, altitude, altimeter, altiplano, altostratus

                        Altocumulus are high cumulus cloud formations.

anti             against, opposite - anticline, anticyclone, antilogarithm, antitrades

                        An anticline is characterized by slopes angled opposite directions down from the crest.

aqu              water - aquifer, aqueous, aquarium, aquatic, aqueduct, aquaculture

                        An aquifer is a body of permeable rock that contains water.

baro            pressure - barometer, bar, barometry, barometric pressure, hyperbaric chamber

                        Barometers are used to measure air pressure.

bi               two - binary star, bimetallic, bifurcate, bimetallic, bicarbonate

                        Binary stars occur in twos.

benth           bottom of  sea - benthos, benthic, zoobenthos

                        The benthos refers to the environment or the flora and fauna on the bottom of the sea.

calci            lime - calcium oxide, calcified, calcium, calcite, decalcified, calcium carbonate

                        Lime is composed of calcium oxide, obtained by heating limestone.

calor            heat - calorimeter, calorie, caloric, kilocalorie, calorimetry

                        Calorimeters are used to measure the heat energy in oil-bearing rocks.

carb             coal, carbon - carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate, carboniferous, calcium carbonate

                        Carbon dioxide and carbonic acid are carbon-based chemicals.

cent             hundred, hundredth - centigrade, centimeter, centigram, percent

                        There are one hundred degrees between freezing and boiling on the centigrade scale.

chrom          color - chromium, chromosphere, chromatography, monochrome, dicrhomate

                        Chromium compounds are very colorful.

chron           time - geochronologist, geochronology, chronology, chronic, chronicle, chronometer, synchronize

                        Geochronologists try to determine the time rocks were formed.

circ             ring, around - circumference, circumlunar, circulate, circumpolar, circumsolar

                        The equatorial circumference of the Earth is the distance around the earth at the Equator.

clin             slope – clinometer, incline, decline, halocline, anticline, syncline, thermocline

                        A clinometer measures the slope.

clud, clus     to close - occluded front, exclude, exclusive, conclude, cluster, star cluster

                        An occluded front occurs when a cold front closes in on a warm front.

co, com       with, together - cogeneration, conglomerate, condense, compress, confluence

                        Cogeneration plants produce electricity and heat together.

cosm           universe, world - cosmic dust, cosmos, cosmology, cosmonaut, cosmic rays, cosmography

                        Cosmic dust is composed of small particles distributed throughout the universe.

crust            shell - crust, encrusted, crustose, crustal

                        The Earth's crust is the hard rocky shell above the mantle.

cycl             circle, cycle - cyclone, cyclical, cycle, rock cycle, anticyclone, cyclotron, nitrogen cycle

                        Cyclones are strong wind systems flowing in circles around low pressure zones.

de               down, without, from - declination, decomposition, deduce, deform, degenerate, deoxygenate

                        Declination is measured in degrees from the celestial equator.

deci             tenth - decibel, decimeter, decimal, deciliter

                        A decibel has one tenth the sound intensity of a bel.

dia              through, across - diameter, diagonal, diaphragm, diagram

                        Diameter is the measure across a circle or other shape.

e, ec, ex       out, without, from - eclipse, eccentric, ecliptic, elongation, exothermic, effluent

                        The earth is without direct light from the Sun during total solar eclipses.

epi              upon, above - epicenter, epibenthos, epilimnion, epicycle

                        The epicenter is directly above the focus of an earthquake.

equi             equal - equinox, equidistant, equilateral, equilibrium, equation, equator

                        The length of day and night are equal at the equinoxes.

flu, fluc       flowing - confluence, fluid, flue, fluctuate, effluvium, magnetic flux

                        The confluence of two rivers is the point where they flow together as one.

geo             earth - geothermal, geology, geode. geocentric, geomorphology, geography, geotropism

                        Geothermal energy comes from the Earth.

glaci            ice - glacier, glaciation, glacial, glaciology, glacial polish, glaze

                        Glaciers are large slowly moving rivers of ice.

grad             step, go - retrograde, prograde, grade, gradual, graduate, graduated, gradient

                        Planets periodically exhibit retrograde motion and appear to go backwards.

graph           writing, drawing - geography, graphite, oceanography, photography, cartography, topography

                        Geographers represent landforms using maps and other drawings.

halo            salt - halite, halogens, halocline, halophyte

                        Halite is rock salt.

helio           sun - aphelion, perihelion, heliograph, heliocentric, heliostat, heliosphere, heliopause

                        The aphelion is the point in orbit when a planet or comet is farthest from the Sun.

hydr, hygr    water - hydroelectric, hydraulics, hydrate, hydrology, hydrothermal, hydropower, hygrometer

                        Hydroelectric power plants produce electricity from the energy in falling water.

-ic               relating to - benthic, pelagic, atmospheric, acidic, basic

                        The term "pelagic" relates to the open sea.

ign              fire - ignite, igneous, ignition, igneous fusion, metaigneous

                        Igneous rocks are "born of fire" in volcanoes or the depth of the Earth.

im, in          not - independent variable, inversion, immobile, immiscible, inversion layer

                        Independent variables do not depend upon dependent variables.

-ion             process - erosion, conservation,  pollution, decomposition, evolution, liquefaction

                        Erosion is a process in which soil and rock are worn away.

iso              equal - isobar, isotherm, isocline, isostasy, isotope

                        Isobars are lines on meteorological maps that connect points of equal pressure.

-ist              one who studies - meteorologist, geologist,  geophysicist,  environmentalist, conservationist

                        Meteorologists study the atmosphere and weather.

-ite              ore, rock, crystal - bauxite, bentonite, chalcopyrite, dolomite, granite, rhyolite, graphite

                        Bauxite is an aluminum ore.

kilo             thousand - kilopascal, kilogram, kilometer, kilovolt, kiloton, kilowatt, kilowatt-hour

                        A kilopascal is one thousand pascals of pressure.

liqu             fluid, liquid - liquefaction, liquefy, liquid, liquid crystal

                        During earthquakes, some soils undergo liquefaction and are more fluid than normal.

lith             rock - lithosphere, batholith, neolithic, Paleolithic, lithify

                        The lithosphere is the rocky crust and outer portion of the mantle.

lu, lum        light - luminous, translucent, luster, luminescence, luminosity

                        Stars are luminous, producing light during nuclear reactions.

magn           great - order of magnitude, magnify, magnitude, magnification

                        Each order of magnitude is ten times greater than the previous one.

mar             sea - Mare Tranquilis, marine, mariner, marsh, maritime, mare

                        Mare Tranquilis, the "Sea of Tranquility" is a large, dark, basalt plain on the Moon.

medi            half, middle - medial moraine, Mediterranean, medium, median

                        Medial moraines form in the middle between two adjacent glaciers.

meso           middle, between - mesosphere, mesocyclone, meson, Mesozoic, Mesoamerica

                        The mesosphere is between the stratosphere and thermosphere.

meta            between, change - metamorphic, metastable, metamorphism, metathesis

                        Metamorphic rock has undergone change as a result of heat, pressure and time.

meter           measure - anemometer, barometer, thermometer, altimeter, diameter, hygrometer

                        Anemometers are used to measure wind speed.

nimb           rain - nimbus, cumulonimbus, nimbostratus

                        Nimbus clouds usually produce rain.

nov             new - nova, supernova, innovation, novice, Nova Scotia, novel, novice

                        Novas are stars that display a new, rapid increase in brilliance.

nox, noc      night - nocturnal, vernal equinox, autumnal equinox, noctilucent clouds

                        At the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, day and night are of equal length.

-oid             like, form - metalloid, colloid, asteroid, meteoroid, crystalloid

                        Metalloids are like metals in many ways.

-ology         study of - seismology, meteorology, petrology, climatology, mineralogy, geology, meteorology

                        Seismology is the study of earthquakes and related phenomenon.

orb              circle - orbital velocity, orbit, orbiter, orb

                        Satellites must travel at orbital velocity to continue circling the Earth.

ortho           straight, correct - orthoclase, orthogonal, orthoquartzite, orthoslice

                        Orthoclase crystals are common in granite and exhibit straight planes of cleavage.

-ous, -us      characterized by - aqueous, nebulous, igneous, carboniferous, nimbus, cumulus

                        Aqueous solutions are characterized by water, the "universal solvent".

paleo           ancient - paleontology, Paleozoic, paleobotany, paleomagnetism

                        Paleobotany is the study of ancient, fossilized plants.

pel, puls      push, pulse - pulsar, pulsate, impulse,  propel, repel

                        Pulsars are thought to be rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit pulses of radio waves.

pelag           the sea - pelagic, bathypelagic, abbysalpelagic

                        Fish living in the open sea are known as pelagic fish.

peri             around - perimeter, periscope, perigee, perihelion

                        The perimeter of an island is the length around its shores.

petr             rock - petrified, petrification, petrology, petrochemical, petrography, petroleum

                        Petrified wood was once organic, but now is rock.

phys            nature - physicist, physics, physiography, physical geography, physical science, geophysics

                        Physicists study the nature of energy and matter.

plan            flat - Altiplano, planar, plains, floodplain, coplanar

                        The high, flat, tableland of South America is known as the Altiplano.

pole, polar    end of axis - Polaris, circumpolar, North & South Poles, polar cap, polar projection, aurora Polaris

                        Polaris, the pole star, is in line with the Earth's axis.

pos             put, laid - deposit, expose, position, composite, opposite

                        Alluvial deposits have been laid down over time.

quad            four - quadrat, quadrangle, quadrilateral, quadrillion, quadruple

                        A quadrat is a four-sided parcel of land used in field studies.

re                back, again - nonrenewable, renewable, report, retain, research, reaction

                        Once depleted, nonrenewable resources can not be tapped again.

retro            back, again - retrograde, retrorocket,  retrofit, retrogression

                        During retrograde, planets appear to move backward.

rupt             break - eruption, erupt, rupture, interrupt, abrupt, disrupt

                        During eruptions, magma breaks through the Earth's crust.

sal              salt - desalination, salinity, saline, salt, salinization

                        Desalination removes salt from water.

sed, sid        sit, settle - sediment, subside, residue, sedimentary, residual

                        Sediments form when particulates settle out of a mixture.

solar            sun - solar wind, solar cell,  solar flare, Solar System, solarize

                        Solar wind is a flow of charged particles from the Sun.

sphere          ball, sphere - lithosphere, stratosphere, exosphere, asthenosphere, thermosphere, atmosphere

                        The lithosphere is the outermost spherical layer of the Earth.

struct           build - infrastructure, structure, construct, instruct, obstruct, destruction

                        Infrastructure must be built before superstructures are erected.

sub             under, below - subsoil, subduct, submerge, subduction zone, subscript, subarctic, substrata, substrate

                         Subsoil lies immediately below surface soil.

super           above, over - superstratum, supernova, superheat, supercool, supersaturate, superscript

                        The superstratum lies above other layers.

syn             together, with - syncline, geosynchronous, synthesis, geosyncline

                        Water flowing down the opposite slopes of a syncline will come together.

terr              earth - subterranean, terrain, territory, terrestrial, extraterrestrial, terrace, terrarium

                        Subterranean structures are located below the surface of the Earth.

therm          heat - thermal, thermometer, geothermal, isotherm, thermocline

                        Thermals are upward currents of heated air.

trans            across, through - translucent, transoceanic, transit, transmit, transect, transparent

                        Light goes through translucent objects.

trib             give - tributary, contribute, attribute, distribute

                        Tributaries give their water to other rivers.

typ              type - prototype, type, typical, typology, typify

                        Prototypes are the first of their type.

ultra            beyond - ultraviolet, ultrasound,  ultrahigh frequency (UHF), ultramafic

                        Ultraviolet radiation has a frequency beyond that of violet radiation.

umb            shadow - umbra, penumbra, umbrella

                        The umbra is the darkest shadow in an eclipse.

vert, vers      turn - diversion dam, divert, invert, reverse, convert

                        Diversion dams turn the course of rivers or streams.

volcan         fire, volcano - volcanologist, volcano, vulcanize, volcanology, volcanism

                        Volcanologists study volcanoes.