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Unit 6
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Mineral | A natural usually inorganic solid that has a characteristic chemical composition and an orderly internal structure |
| element | A substance that cannot be separated or broken down into simpler substances means all atoms of an element have the same atomic number |
| atom | The smallest unit of an element that maintains the properties of that element |
| compound | A substance made up of atoms or ions of two or more different elements joined by chemical |
| matter | anything that has mass and takes up space |
| crystal | natural solid substance that has a definite geometric shape |
| streak | the color of a mineral in powdered from |
| luster | the way in which a mineral reflects light |
| cleavage | In geology the tendency of a mineral to split along specific planes of weakness to form smooth flat surfaces |
| weathering | the natural process by which atmosphere and environmental agents such as wind rain and temperature changes and decompose rocks |
| erosion | The process by which wind water ice or gravity transports soil and sediment form one location to another |
| depasition | the process in which material is laid down |
| igneous rock | rock that forms when magma cools and solidifies |
| sedimentary rock | A rock that forms from other compressed or cemented layers of sediment |
| metamorphic rock | a rock that forms from other rocks as a result of intense heat pressure or chemical processes |
| rock cycle | the series of processes in which rock forms changes from one type to another is destroyed and forms again by geologic processes |
| uplift | the rising of regions of the earths crust to higher elevations |
| subsidence | the sinking of regions of the Earth's crust to lower elevations |
| rift zone | An area of deep cracks that forms between two tectonic plates that are pulling away from each other |
| crust | The thin and solid outermost layer of Earth above the mantel |
| mantle | the layer of rock between the Earth's crust and core |
| convection | the movement of matter due to differences of energy due to the movement of matter |
| core | the central part of Earth below the mantel |
| lithosphere | the solid outer layer of Earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantel |
| athenosphere | the soft layer of the mantel; on which the tectonic plates move |
| mesoshere | Th strong lower part of the mantel between the asthenosphere and the outer core |
| pangaea | the supercontinent that formed 300 million years ago and that began to break up 200 million years ago |
| sea floor spreading | the process by which new oceanic lithosphere firms when magma rises to Earth's surface at mid-ocean ridges and solidifies as older existing sea floor moves away from the ridge |
| plate tectonics | the theory that explains how large pieces of the lithosphere called plates move and change shape |
| tectonic plates | the block of lithosphere that consists of the crust and the rigid outermost part of the mantel |
| convergent boundary | the boundary between tectonic plates that are colliding |
| divergent boundary | the boundary between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other |
| transform boundary | the boundary between tectonic plates that are sliding past each other horizontally |
| deformation | the bending tilting and breaking of Earth's crust the change in the shape of rock in response to stress |
| folding | the bending of rock layers due to stress |
| fault | a break in a body of rock along which one block moves relative to another |
| shear stress | stress that occurs when forces act in parallel but opposite directions pushing parts of a solid in opposite directions |
| tension | stress that occurs when forces act to stretch an object |
| compression | stress that occurs when forces act to squeeze an object |
| Earthquake | a movement or trembling of the ground that is caused by a sudden release of energy when rocks along a fault move |
| foucs | the location within Earth along a fault which the first motion of an earthquake occurs |
| epicenter | the point on Earth's surface directly above an earthquake's starting point or focus |
| tectonic plate boundary | the edge between two or more plates classified as divergent convergent or transform by the movement taking place between the plates |
| elastic rebound | the sudden of elastically deformed rock to its unformed shape |
| volcano | A vent or fissure in Earth's surface through which magma and gases are expelled |
| magma | The molten or partially molten rock material containing trapped gases produced under the Earth's surface |
| lava | Magma that flows onto Earth's surface the rock that forms when lava cools and solidifies |
| vent | An opening at the surface of the earth trough which volcanic material passes |
| hot spot | A volcanically active area of Earth's surface commonly fat from a tectonic plate boundary |