TOEFL geology and earth science vocabulary
119 words in this theme, levelled so you can tell what is worth your time at your band.
Geology and earth science vocabulary covers plate tectonics, erosion, sediment, seismic activity and climate processes. These are favourite academic-talk topics because they describe a mechanism clearly enough to be tested in a short lecture.
Why this theme earns your time
Earth-science lectures follow a predictable shape: a process, its cause, and its observable effect. Knowing the vocabulary lets you track that shape instead of decoding it.
What the words look like
Every entry carries its part of speech, pronunciation, CEFR level, the collocations it actually appears in, and a sentence using it. A sample from the bank:
| Word | CEFR | Meaning | In use |
|---|---|---|---|
| aftershockn. /ˈæftərʃɑːk/ | B2 | a smaller earthquake that happens after a bigger onea series of aftershocks · a strong aftershock | For several weeks after the main earthquake, residents felt dozens of smaller aftershocks. |
| bayn. /beɪ/ | B1 | a curved part of a coast partly enclosing watera sheltered bay · keep sth at bay | Fishing boats shelter in the bay before storms. |
| coarseadj. /kɔːrs/ | C1 | rough in texture; rudecoarse grain · coarse language | Coarse sand drains faster than fine silt. |
| driftv./n. /drɪft/ | B2 | to move slowly with no direction; general meaningdrift apart · get the drift | Smoke drifted across the valley floor. |
| faultn. /fɔːlt/ | B2 | a large crack in the Earth's surface where rock masses can move and cause earthquakesa fault line · movement along a fault | The San Andreas Fault in California marks the boundary between two moving plates. |
| gulfn. /ɡʌlf/ | C1 | a large sea inlet; a big differencebridge the gulf · the gulf between | A wide gulf separates the two proposals. |
| limestonen. /ˈlaɪmstoʊn/ | C1 | a soft rock made largely of the remains of sea creatureslimestone cave · limestone cliff | Rainwater slowly dissolves limestone, forming caves. |
| oceanicadj. /ˌoʊʃiˈænɪk/ | C1 | relating to the oceanoceanic crust · oceanic currents | Oceanic plates are denser and sink beneath continental ones. |
| porousadj. /ˈpɔːrəs/ | C2 | having many small holes that let liquid throughporous rock · a porous border | Porous limestone drains almost instantly. |
| sedimentaryadj. /ˌsedɪˈmentri/ | C1 | formed from layers of material that settled out of water or airsedimentary rock · sedimentary layers | Sedimentary rock forms in layers, which is why it records time so well. |
| stratan. /ˈstrætə/ | C1 | layers of rock, each with its own characteristicsrock strata · visible strata | The canyon walls reveal strata laid down over millions of years. |
| tiden. /taɪd/ | B2 | the regular rise and fall of the seahigh tide · turn the tide | The tide uncovers a rock causeway twice a day. |
What to learn at your level
Most of this theme sits at CEFR C1 (42% of its words). At band 4 the B1 and B2 entries are the ones that move your score; grinding C1 vocabulary before the B2 layer is solid is the most common way to spend weeks and gain nothing.
| Level | Words | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1 | 13 | 11% |
| B2 | 34 | 29% |
| C1 | 50 | 42% |
| C2 | 22 | 18% |
Recognising a word is not knowing it
Complete the Words asks you to *produce* a word from context with only its opening letters shown, and the writing tasks ask you to produce it from nothing. That is why the PrepScore drill makes you write the word rather than flip a card, and counts it mastered only after two correct productions in a row. See how the vocabulary drill works.
Drill this theme free
Twenty words a day at no cost, tested by production rather than recognition.
Frequently asked questions
Why do TOEFL lectures use earth science so often?
Because a geological process can be described completely in a few minutes and tested on cause and effect — which is exactly what a short academic talk needs.
Keep reading
By PrepScore · Last reviewed · Editorial standards