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Geology

Kehir - Rocks and Minerals

TermDefinition
absolute age Age, in years, of a rock or other object; can be determined by using properties of the atoms that make up materials.
alloy mixture of two or more minerals, with at least one being metallic
basaltic Describes dense, dark-colored igneous rock formed from magma rich in magnesium and iron and poor in silica.
carbon film Thin film of carbon residue preserved as a fossil.
cast A type of body fossil that forms when crystals fill a mold or sediments wash into a mold and harden into rock.
cementation Sedimentary rock-forming process in which sediment grains are held together by natural cements that are produced when water moves through rock and soil.
cleavage A mineral's ability to split easily along flat surfaces.
compaction Process that forms sedimentary rocks when layers of sediments are compressed by the weight of the layers above them.
coral reef A structure of calcite skeletons built up by coral animals in warm, shallow ocean water.
crystal A solid in which the atoms are arranged in a pattern that repeats again and again.
crystallization The process by which atoms are arranged to form a material with a crystal structure.
deposition Process in which sediment is laid down in new locations.
erosion A process in which the materials of Earth's surface are loosened, dissolved or worn away and transported from one place to another by a natural agent, such as wind, water, ice or gravity.
extrusive Describes fine-grained igneous rock that forms when magma cools quickly at or near Earth's surface.
foliated Describes metamorphic rock, such as slate and gneiss, whose mineral grains line up in parallel layers.
fossil Physical evidence of an organism that lived long ago that scientists use to study the past; evidence may appear in rocks, amber, or ice.
fracture The way a mineral looks when it breaks apart in an irregular way.
geode A hollow rock inside which mineral crystals have formed.
granitic Describes generally light-colored, silica-rich igneous rock that is less dense than basaltic rock.
half-life Time it takes for half the atoms of an isotope to decay.
igneous rock Rock formed when magma or lava cools and hardens.
index fossils Remains of species that existed on Earth for a relatively short period of time, were abundant and widespread geographically, and can be used by geologists to assign the ages of rock layers.
inorganic A substance not having the structure or organization characteristic of living bodies.
intrusive Describes a type of igneous rock that generally contains large crystals and forms when magma cools slowly beneath Earth's surface.
lava Liquid magma that reaches the surface; also, the rock formed when liquid lava hardens.
luster The way a mineral reflects light from its surface.
magma The molten mixture of rock-forming substances, gases, and water from the mantle.
metamorphic rock Forms when heat, pressure, or fluids act on igneous, sedimentary, or other metamorphic rock to change its form, composition, or both
mineral A naturally occurring inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition
Mohs hardness scale A scale ranking ten minerals from softest to hardest; used in testing the hardness of minerals.
mold A type of body fossil that forms in rock when an organism with hard parts is buried, decays, or dissolves and leaves a cavity in the rock
non foliated Describes metamorphic rock, such as quartzsite or marble, whose mineral grains grow and rearrange but generally do not form layers.
ore minerals valuable minerals that are economically worthwhile to extract
permineralized remains Fossils in which the spaces inside are filled with minerals from groundwater.
placer deposits surface deposits of minerals created by weather and erosion of rocks
placer mining method used to extract minerals from stream bends and along coasts
principle of superposition States that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest rocks are on the bottom and the rocks become progressively younger toward the top.
radioactivity decay Process in which some isotopes break down into other isotopes and particles.
radiometric dating Process used to calculate the absolute age of rock by measuring the ratio of parent isotope to daughter product in a mineral and knowing the half-life of the parent.
reclamation the process of restoring a mine that is no longer used for mineral extraction
relative age The age of something compared with other things.
rock A naturally occurring solid mixture of one or more minerals or organic matter.
rock cycle The series of geologic processes in which a rock forms, changes from one type to another, is destroyed, and forms again.
sediment Small, solid pieces of material that come from rocks or organisms; earth materials deposited by erosion.
sedimentary rock Forms when sediments are compacted and cemented together or when minerals form from solutions.
solution A mixture in which one substance is dissolved in another.
streak The color of a mineral's powder.
subsurface mining tunneling method used to extract ores when they are located at least 50 meters below the surface
surface mining method used to remove ores from surface deposits
texture The quality of a rock that is based on the sizes, shapes, and positions of the rock's grains.
unconformoity Gap in the rock layer that is due to erosion or periods without any deposition
uniformitarianism Principle stating that Earth processes occurring today are similar to those that occurred in the past.
valley fills earthen dams created with waste rock from surface mining
vein A narrow deposit of a mineral that is sharply different from the surrounding rock.
gem Beautiful, rare, highly prized mineral that can be worn in jewelry.
ore Deposit in which a mineral exists in large enough amounts to be mined at a profit.
composition The chemical makeup of a rock; describes either the minerals or other materials in the rock
Created by: ckehir
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