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Rocks and Minerals
Term | Definition |
---|---|
porosity | amount of pore space in a rock or soil |
Deposition | When sediments are deposited or dropped in a new location |
Erosion | Wind, water and ice move sediments |
Sediments | small pieces of broken down rock and mineral fragments |
sedimentary rock | rocks made from sediments |
Lithification | hardening of sediment into rock through compaction and cementation |
compaction | pressure |
Cementation | stuck together with natural glue |
metamorphic rock | rock formed from another rock by heat and pressure |
parent rock | The existing rock that turns into a metamorphic rock |
Igneous rock | rock formed from cooling magma or lava |
Intrusive igneous rock | Rock formed below the surface from magma cooling |
Extrusive Igneous rock | Rock formed above the surface from lava cooling |
Weathering | wind, water and ice break down rocks |
rock | a naturally occurring solid made from mineral pieces or rock fragments |
mineral | a naturally occurring solid with a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition |
ore | a mined deposit that make a profit |
rock cycle | a continuous series of events through which a rock is transformed from one type to another |
permeability | how easily water move through a rock or soil |
loess | wind blown silt or dirt |
loam | mixed dirt, pebbles, sand and rocks |
cleavage | when a mineral breaks on a flat surface |
felsic | igneous rock light in color |
mafic | igneous rock dark in color |
coarse grained | igneous rock with a rough texture, takes a longer time to cool |
fine grained | igneous rock with a smooth texture, cools quickly |
strata | layers in a sedimentary rock |
stratification | Process of making layers in a sedimentary rock |
organic | sedimentary rock made from the remains of dead plants and animals |
Contact metamorphism | metamorphic rocks are created from the heat given off by nearby magma |
Regional metamorphism | metamorphic rocks are created from the pressure involved in plate tectonics |
Foliated | metamorphic rock that has aligned grains of flat minerals - looks like colored bands |
uplift | The process that moves large amounts of rock up to Earth's surface or higher |
streak | the color of a mineral's powder |
AMD | Acid Mine Drainage |
reclamation | when a mine is no longer used, the land should be returned to its original state or better |
mining | extracting ore from the ground |