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Unit 7
Changes to Earth's Surface
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| weathering | the breaking down of rocks on Earth's surface into smaller pieces |
| erosion | the process of moving sediment from one place to another |
| deposition | the dropping or settling of eroded materials |
| sedimentary rock | a type of rock that forms when layers of sediment are pressed together |
| fossil | the remains or traces of a plant or animal that lived long ago |
| mold | an impression of an organism, formed when sediment hardens around the organism |
| cast | a model of an organism, formed when sediment fills a mold and hardens |
| fossil fuel | fuel, such as coal, oil, natural gas, formed from the remains of once-living things |
| index fossil | a fossil of a type of organism that lived in many places during a relatively short time span |
| mass extinction | a period in which a large number of species become extinct |