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Chapter 9 & 10 - Geologic Time & Crustal Deformation

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Term
Definition
Absolute Age   where a number (yrs, min, sec) is assigned to the amount of time that has passed  
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Numerical Date   specify the actual number of years passed since an event occurred  
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Relative Age   where the AGE of a rock, fossil, or other geologic feature is measured RELATIVE TO ANOTHER FEATURE  
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Relative Dating   method used by geologists to determine the general SEQUENCE of geologic events from OLDEST TO YOUNGEST  
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Law of Superposition [Stratigraphic Principles]   in an UNDEFORMED SEQUENCE of sedimentary rocks, each bed is older than the one above and younger than the one below [●YOUNG↓ ●OLD↓ ●OLDER]  
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Principle of Original Horizontality [Stratigraphic Principles]    layers of sediment are generally deposited in a horizontal position  rock layers that are flat have not been disturbed  
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Principle of Cross-Cutting [Stratigraphic Principles]    a rock unit must always be OLDER than any feature that cuts or disrupts it  features include: faults, igneous intrusions, folding, tilting  
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Principle of Inclusions [Stratigraphic Principles]    a piece of rock that is ENCLOSED within another rock  a rock containing an inclusion is always YOUNGER  
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Conformable Layers   layers of rock that have been deposited WITHOUT INTERRUPTION  
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Unconformity   BREAKS in the rock record  
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Formation   for the most basic rock division, constitutes a rock unit produced by UNIFORM or UNIFORMLY ALTERNATING CONDITIONS  
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How do unconformities form?    Long periods of NON-DEPOSITION  EROSION of material  
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Angular Unconformity [Unconformity]   TILTED or folded SEDIMENTARY rocks are OVERLAIN by FLAT-lying rocks ̷̷͞͞͞͞ ̷̷͞͞  
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Disconformity [Unconformity]    strata on either side of the unconformity are parallel  more difficult to identify  
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Nonconformity [Unconformity]   older METAMORPHIC or intrusive IGNEOUS rocks are OVERLAIN by younger SEDIMENTARY strata  
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Fossil   traces or remains of prehistoric life preserved in rock that are important inclusions in sediment and sedimentary rocks  
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Criteria for fossil preservation    Rapid BURIAL  Possession of HARD PARTS (skeletons)  
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Petrified (permineralization) [Fossilization]    "turned into stone"  the small internal cavities and pores of an organism are filled with precipitated matter  
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Mold/Cast [Fossilization]    shell or other structure is buried in sediment and then dissolved by ground water  the fossil only reflects the shape and surface marking of the organism and does not reveal any information regarding its internal structure  
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Carbonization [Fossilization]   preserving leaves and delicate animal forms that leaves behind a thin residue of an element  
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Impression [Carbonization: Fossilization]   if film of carbon is lost a replica of the surface may still show details  
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Amber [Fossilization]   preserving insects  
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Replacement [Fossilization]    cell walls and other solid materials are removed and replaced with mineral matter  microscopic detail can be preserved  
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Track [Trace Fossil: Fossilization]   footprints made in soft sediment and later lithified  
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Burrows [Trace Fossil: Fossilization]    TUBES in sediment, wood, and rock made by an animal  holes may later fill with mineral water  
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Coprolites [Trace Fossil: Fossilization]   fossil DUNG and STOMACH CONTENTS can provide information about food habits  
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Gastroliths [Trace Fossil: Fossilization]   highly polished STOMACH STONES used in grinding food by some extinct  
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Radioactive Decay   the SPONTANEOUS changes in the structure of atomic NUCLEI occur due to INSTABILITY in binding forces in nucleus  
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Alpha Decay [Radioactive Decay]   occurs when the NUCLEUS is TOO LARGE to be stable  EMMISION of 2 protons and 2 neutrons (an alpha particle which is, in fact, a He nucleus) ● Mass number is REDUCED by 4 ◊ atomic number is REDUCED by 2  
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Beta Decay [Radioactive Decay]   occurs when there are TOO MANY NEUTRONS relative to the number of protons  An electron (beta particle) is EJECTED from the nucleus ● Mass number remains UNCHANGED ◊ atomic number INCREASES by 1  
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Electron Capture [Radioactive Decay]   occurs when there are TOO MANY PROTONS relative to the number of neutrons  An electron is CAPTURED by the nucleus and COMBINES with a proton to form a neutron ● Mass number remains UNCHANGED ◊ atomic number DECREASES by 1  
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Correlation Process   investigative process by which geologists ID and MATCH sedimentary strata and other rocks of the SAME AGES of DIFFERENT AREAS  
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The Principle of Fossil Succession [Correlation Process]   fossil organisms succeed one another in a DEFINITE and DETERMINABLE ORDER, therefore any TIME period can be RECOGNIZED by its fossils  
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What is the age of the Earth?   4.5 BILLION years  
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Divisions of Geologic Time [Decreasing Order]   Eon -> Era -> Period -> Epoch  
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Where does C-14 come from?   Continuously produced in the UPPER ATMOSPHERE as a consequence of COSMIC-RAY BOMBARDMENT  
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Precambrian    88% of Earth History  the vast amount of time that preceded the Paleozoic Era  
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Radiometric Dating   geologists use this technique to determine the age (a NUMERICAL age) of a rock  
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Atomic Number    element's identifying number  equal to the # of PROTONS (or electrons in an electrically neutral atom)  
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Mass Number   PROTONS + NEUTRONS  
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Force   tends to put stationary objects in motion or changes the motions of moving objects  
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Stress   term that structural geologists use to describe the forces that deform rock  
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Compressional stress    differential stress that SQUEEZES and SHORTENS a rock mass  crust is SHORTENED and THICKENED, producing MOUNTAIN terrain  
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Tensional Stress    pulls APART or ELONGATES a rock unit  STRETCHES and LENGTHENES rock bodies in upper crust by displacement along faults  displacement at depth by DUCTILE FLOW  
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Shear Stress    involves movement of one part of a rock body PAST another  can occur along FOLIATION SURFACES and microscopic features  can occur along LARGE SEGMENTS of crust  
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Differential Stress [ ≠ ]   stress applied UNEQUALLY in different directions  
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Confining Stress   rocks deeply buried are held together by the immense pressure and tend to flow rather than fracture  
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Compressional Stress : Tectonic Environment   CONVERGENT Plate Boundaries  
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Tensional Stress: Tectonic Environment   DIVERGENT Plate Boundaries  
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Shear Stress: Tectonic Environment   TRANSFORM Fault Boundaries  
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Ductile Deformation    BEND  once the elastic limit (strength) of a rock is exceeded, SHAPE IS CHANGED  does NOT fracture  type of solid-state flow  some chemical bonds are broken, WHILE OTHERS FORM  
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Examples of Ductile Deformation    Copper penny run over by a train  Modeling clay  Taffy  Beeswax  
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Brittle Deformation    BREAK  once the elastic limit (strength) of rock is exceeded, the rock BREAKS INTO PIECES  chemical bonds are broken  
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Examples of Brittle Deformation    Chalk dropped on hard surface  Glass objects  Wooden pencils  China plates  Bones  
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How do rocks at the earth’s surface behave? [Ductilely or Brittlely]    BRITTLE  Where temperatures are LOW rocks behave in a brittle manner and FRACTURE  
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How do rocks deep in the earth behave? [Ductilely or Brittlely]    DUCTILE  Where temperatures are HIGH rocks behave in a ductile manner and FLOW  
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What are strike and dip?   Strike and dip are measurements used to determine orientation (attitude) of rock layer or fault surfaces  
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Strike    TREND  compass direction of the line produced by the INTERSECTION of an inclined rock layer of fault with a horizontal plane  
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Dip    INCLINATION  the ANGLE of inclination of the surface of a rock unit or fault measured from a horizontal plane  
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Anticline [ ↑ ᴖ ]    UP-folded, or arched, sedimentary rock layers  oldest rock at the CENTER, youngest rock draped over them at the top  
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Syncline [ ↓ ᴗ ]    DOWN-folded sedimentary rock layers  oldest rock on the OUTSIDE, youngest rock in the center  
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Monocline [__ᴦ--]    large, STEP-LIKE folds in otherwise horizontal sedimentary strata  oldest rock is on BOTTOM, youngest rock is on top  
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Dome    UP-warping produces a circular or slightly elongated structure  oldest rocks of eroded dome in CENTER, youngest rock found on the outer part  
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Basin    DOWN-warping produces a circular or slightly elongated structure  oldest rocks found on the OUTER part, youngest rock found near the center  
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How do domes form?    Domes can form by magma intrusion - Upward migration of salt formations produce salt domes - Black Hills dome formed by up-warping  
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How do basins form?    A few structural basins are result of giant asteroid impacts - Michigan and Illinois basins formed by large accumulations of sediment which caused crust to subside  
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Limb [Part of a Fold]   2 sides of a fold  
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Axial Plane [Part of a Fold]   imaginary surface dividing fold  
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Hinge Line [Part of a Fold]   line drawn along maximum curvature of the fold  
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Plunge [Part of a Fold]   hinge line is at an angle  
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Reverse Fault   dip-slip faults where HANGING WALL moves UP relative to footwall  
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Normal Fault    dip-slip fault where HANGING WALL moves DOWN relative to footwall  lengthening of crust due to tensional forces  
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Strike-Slip Fault    displacement is mainly horizontal and parallel to strike of fault surface  classified as right and left lateral  
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Thrust Fault   reverse faults having dips less than 45°, so overlying block moves nearly horizontally over the underlying block  
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Hanging Wall Block   rock surface immediately ABOVE fault  
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Footwall Block   rock surface immediately BELOW fault  
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