7: Earth Materials and Plate Tectonics Flashcards
accumulates substantial inferential information
about the Earth’s interior
monitors vibration patterns
geophysical means
basic materials of the solid earth
rocks and minerals
describes how different rock types develop as earth materials are cycled and recycled through geologic time
rock change
75% of the earth’s crust is made up of ___
the rest are ___
oxygen and silicon
metallic and base elements (iron, aluminum)
elements of the crust
combined in inorganic chemical compounds
combined in inorganic chemical compounds
minerals
combined minerals
rocks
3 major classes of rocks
igneous
sedimentary
metamorphic
forms when molten material from the earth’s interior cools and solidifies in the crust
igneous
coarse-textured magma cooled slowly
intrusive igneous rocks
fine-textured, lava cooled rapidly
extrusive igneous rocks
mainly consists of silicate materials (silicon, oxygen, metallic elements
igneous
less dense felsic minerals
upper crust
denser mafic and ultramafic minerals
lower crust
silicate materials undergo chemical changes when exposed to air and water
mineral alteration
ex. clay minerals
breakdown of rocks into smaller particles known collectively as sediment (mineral alteration and physical disintegration
weathering
forms through weathering
layers of mineral sediment and organic matter accumulate in oceans and low-lying areas to be compacted and hardened
sedimentary
different types of ___ produce different kinds of sedimentary rock
sediment
igneous and sedimentary rocks and altered by heat, pressures, chemically
metamorphic
describes the circulation of rock material between the earth’s interior and the crust
very slow process, powered by radioactive decay deep within the earth
cycle of rock changes
how the continents and ocean basin of the earth’s surface slowly changes as forces within deep within the earth cause vast tectonic plates to converge, collide, split and separate
grand cycle of plate tectonics
metallic
surrounded by the mantle
core
ultramafic rock
covered by crust
mantle
mafic rocks exposed on the ocean floor and felsic rocks exposed on the continents
crust