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Vocabulary terms
Vocabulary words for Finals
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Mineral | a naturally formed, inorganic solid that has a definite chemical structure |
| Element | a substance that cannot be separated or broken down into simpler substances by chemical means |
| Compound | a substance made up of atoms of two or more different elements joined by chemical bonds |
| Crystal | a solid whose atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite pattern |
| Silicate mineral | a mineral that contains a combination of silicon, oxygen, and one or more metals |
| Non silicate mineral | a mineral that does not contain compounds of silicon and oxygen |
| Native elements | are minerals that are composed of only one element |
| Carbonates | are minerals that contain combinations of carbon and oxygen in their chemical structure |
| Halides | are compounds that form when fluorine, chlorine, iodine, or bromine combine with sodium, potassium, or calcium |
| Oxides | are compounds that form when an element, such as aluminium or iron, combines chemically with oxygen |
| Sulfates | are minerals that contain sulfur and oxygen |
| Sulfides | are minerals that contain one or more elements, such as lead, iron, or nickel, combined with sulfur |
| luster | the way in which a mineral reflects light |
| Streak | the color of the powder of a mineral |
| Cleavage | the splitting of a mineral along smooth, flat surfaces |
| Fracture | the manner in which a mineral breaks along either curved or irregular surfaces |
| Hardness | a measure of the ability of a mineral to resist scratching |
| Density | the ratio of the mass of a substance to the volume of the substances |
| Special properties of minerals | properties that are particular to only a few types of minerals |
| Fluorescence | calcite and fluorite glow under ultraviolet light |
| Optical properties | a thin, clear piece of calcite placed over an image will cause a double image |
| Chemical reaction | Calcite will become bubbly, or "fizz," when a drop of weak acid is placed on it |
| Magnetism | Both magnetite and pyrrhotite are natural magnets that attract iron |
| Taste | Halite has a salty taste |
| Radioactivity | Minerals that contain radium or uranium can be detected by a Geiger counter |
| Ore | a natural material whose concentration of economically valuable minerals is high enough for the material to be mined profitably |
| Reclamation | the process of returning land to its original condition after mining is completed |
| Nonmetallic Minerals | have shiny or dull surfaces, may let light pass through them, and are good insulators of electricity |
| Metallic minerals | have shiny surfaces, do not let light pass through them, and are good conductors of heat and electricity |
| Gemstones | highly valued for their beauty and rarity rather than for their usefulness |
| Index Mineral rock | is used to estimate the temperature, depth, and pressure at which a rock undergoes metamorphism |
| Rock cycle | the series of processes in which a rock forms, changes from one type to another, is destroyed, and forms again by geologic processes |
| Erosion | the process by which wind, water, ice, or gravity transports soil and sediment from one location to another |
| Deposition | the process in which material is laid down |
| Composition | the chemical makeup of a rock; describes either the minerals or other materials in the rock |
| Texture | the quality of a rock that is based on the sizes, shapes, and positions of the rock's grains |
| Igneous Rock | forms when hot, liquid rock, or magma , cools and solidifies |
| Intrusive Igneous rock | rock formed from the cooling and solidification of magma beneath the Earth's surface |
| Extrusive igneous rock | rock that forms as a result of volcanic activity at or near the Earth's surface |
| Dikes | sheet like intrusions that cut across previous rock units |
| Sills | sheet like intrusions that are oriented parallel to previous rock units |
| Batholiths | largest of all igneous intrusions |
| Stocks | intrusive bodies that are exposed over smaller areas than batholiths |
| Fissures | when lava erupts and flows from long cracks in the Earth's crust |
| lava plateau | when a large amount of lava flows out of fissures onto land, the lava can cover a large area and form a plain |
| Stratification | the process in which sedimentary rocks are arranged in layers |
| sedimentary rock | forms at or near the earth's surface and it forms without the heat and pressure that are involved in the formation of igneous and metamorphic rocks |
| strata | layers of rock |
| metamorphic rock | are rocks in which the structure, texture, or composition of the rock have changed |
| foliated metamorphic rock | the texture of the metamorphic rock in which the mineral grains are arranged in planes or bands |
| non foliated metamorphic rock | the texture of the metamorphic rock in which the mineral grains are not arranged in planes or bands |
| deformation | the bending, tilting, and breaking of the Earth's crust; the change in the shape of rock in response to stress |
| uniformitarianism | a principle that states that geologic processes that occurred in the past can be explained by current geologic processes |
| catastrophism | a principle that states that geologic change occurs suddenly |
| paleontology | the scientific study of fossils |
| paleobotany | a type of paleontology dealing with fossil plants |
| relative dating | any method of determining whether an event or object is older or younger than other events or objects |
| superposition | a principle that states that younger rocks lie above older rocks if the layers have not been disturbed |
| geologic column | an arrangement of rock layers in which the oldest rocks are at the bottom |
| unconformity | a break in the geologic record created when rock layers are eroded or when sediment is not deposited for a long period of time |
| disconformity | are found where part of a sequence of parallel rock layers is missing |
| nonconformity | are found where horizontal sedimentary rock layers lie on top of an eroded surface of non layered igneous or metamorphic rock |
| angular unconformity | exists between horizontal rock layers and rock layers that are tilted or folded |
| absolute dating | any method of measuring the age of an event or object in years |
| isotope | an atom that has the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons |
| radioactive decay | the process in which a radioactive isotope tends to break down into a stable isotope of the same element |
| radiometric dating | a method of determining the age of an object by estimating the relative percentages of a radioactive parent isotope and a stable daughter isotope |
| half-life | the time needed for half of a sample of a radioactive substance to undergo radioactive decay |
| fossil | the remains or physical evidence of an organism preserved by geologic purposes |
| trace fossil | a fossilized mark that is formed in soft sediment by the movement of an animal |
| mold | a mark or cavity made in a sedimentary surface by a shell or other body |
| cast | a type of fossil that forms when sediments fill in the cavity left by a decomposed organism |
| index fossil | a fossil that is found in the rock layers of only one geologic age and that is used to establish the age of the rocks layers |
| geologic time scale | the standard method used to divide the Earth's long natural history into manageable parts |
| era | a unit of geologic time that includes two or more periods |
| eon | the largest division of geologic time |
| period | a unit of geologic time into which eras are divided |
| epoch | a subdivision of a geologic period |
| extiction | the death of every member of a species |
Created by:
krabkid
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