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Rocks&Minerals Vocab
Prucha - Earth Science
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| bioclastic sedimentary rock | any rock made by living organisms or mostly composed of materials from life forms |
| chemical sedimentary rock | a rock composed of interconnected crystals of just one mineral that form by evaporation and/or precipitation of dissolved minerals; include rock salt and rock gypsum; also called evaporite |
| clastic sedimentary rock | rock that is largely composed of solid sediments, such as the sand in sandstone |
| contact metamorphism | process in which older rocks come in contact with the magma of an intrusion or lava of an extrusion and the heat and mineral fluids of the liquid rock alter the older rock by recrystallization |
| extrusive igneous rock | a rock formed by solidification of lava at or above Earth's surface; also called volcanic igneous rock |
| fossil | any physical evidence of former life, either direct or indirect |
| igneous rock | a rock formed when natural, molten rock-forming material (magma or lava) cools and turns into a solid - above, below, or on Earth's surface |
| intrusive igneous rock | a rock that forms by the cooling and solidification of magma beneath Earth's solid surface; examples - granite or gabbro; also called plutonic igneous rock |
| metamorphic rock | a rock that forms from changes in previously existing rocks (igneous, sedimentary, or other metamorphic rocks) due to heat, pressure, and/or chemical fluids (not by weathering or melting) |
| metamorphism | the process by which heat, pressure, and/or exposure to chemical fluids can change previously existing rock into metamorphic rock |
| mineral | a naturally occurring, crystalline solid having a somewhat definite chemical composition and physical and chemical properties that vary within specified limits; has a unique crystal (atomic) structure |
| mineral resources | Earth materials that people need, including minerals, rocks, and fossil fuels |
| precipitation (of minerals) | a type of sediment deposition in which dissolved minerals come out of solution to form solids, as in the formation of chemical sedimentary rocks such as rock salt |
| regional metamorphism | process of formation of metamorphic rock over large areas due to an increase in temperature and pressure, usually as the result of mountain building associated with plate collision or convergence |
| rock cycle | a model of the interrelationships of the different rock types (sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic), the materials they form from and the processes that produce the rocks |
| sedimentary rock | rock that forms directly from sediments deposited near Earth's surface by the processes of cementation, precipitation of minerals, loss of water, and compaction |
| cleavage | the tendency of a mineral to break along the zones of weakness and form smooth to semi-smooth parallel surfaces |
| crystal shape | the outward 3-D shape or geometric shape of a mineral specimen that reflects the internal atomic structure; also called crystal form |
| fracture | the way in which a mineral breaks producing an uneven breaking surface; types - earthy, splintery, and curved (conchoidal) |
| hardness | the resistance a mineral offers to being scratched or dented; usually measured by comparison to the Mohs hardness scale of minerals |
| luster | the way a mineral looks or shines in reflected light |
| streak | the color of the powder of a mineral which is usually more consistent than normal mineral color |
Created by:
WGZimm
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