Earth Science Flashcards
Minerals
inorganic elements that are essential to function the human body and obtained from food
lithosphere
outermost layer of the Earth, this includes outermost layer of the Earth
magma
very hot molten rock that includes gases, that come from the mantle, just below the earths crust.
sediments
material that has been broken down by weathering and erosion that is moved by wind or water and collects in layers.
lava
hot molten or semi-fluid rock erupted from a volcano or solid rock resulting of cooling.
igneous
rocks that form from the cooling of lava or magma as it is thrown through the air from a volcanic eruption
extrusive
igneous rock that forms when lava cools above the Earth’s surface
intrusive
igneous rock that forms when magma solidify’s inside the crust
pumice
a pale rock that forms when lava cools in the air. Pumice often floats on water as it is very light and full of holes that once contained gas.
scoria
a dark, igneous rock formed from gassy lava that cools quickly
abrasive
a property of a material or substance that easily scratches another
basalt
a dark, igneous rock with small crystals formed by fast cooling of hot lava. It sometimes has holes that once contained volcanic gases.
obsidian
a black, glassy rock that breaks into pieces with smooth shell-like surfaces
granite
a hard, igneous rock with different-coloured crystals large enough to see. It forms slowly below the Earth’s surface.
batholiths
intrusive rock mass that measures more than 100 kilometers across
lustre
a gentle sheen or soft glow on the mineral which you can see
moh’s scale
The Mohs scale is the scale of hardness of the mineral.
streak
A streak is a long, thin line or mark of a different substance or color from its surroundings.
Sedimentary rock
rock that is formed over a long period of time from particles of sediments
how is sandstone formed
this is formed from grains of sand that have been cemented together over a long time.
how is shale formed
formed from finer grains of sediment deposited by calm water in the form of mud.
conglomerate
contains grains of different sizes that have been cemented together.
how is mud stone formed
formed from finer grains of sediment deposited by calm water in the form of mud.
how is silt stone formed
has grains slightly larger than those of mud stone.
how is coal formed
is formed from the remains of dead plants and animals that are buried by other sediments under alot of pressure.
how is limestone formed
is a sedimentary rock that is formed from deposits of the remains of sea organisms such as shellfish and corals.
rock salt
is an example of a rock formed in this way. It forms from residues of salt that remain after the evaporation of water from salt lakes or dried-up seabeds and can form beds that are hundreds of metres thick.
metamorphism
metamorphism the process that changes rocks by extreme pressure or heat (or both)
metamorphic rocks
metamorphic rocks rock formed from another rock that has been under great heat or pressure (or both)
mineral ores
rocks mined to obtain a metal or other chemical within them
mining
extraction of natural resources from the Earth
environmental impact statement (EIS)
study of the possible effects of a planned project on the environment
rehabilitated
restored to its previous condition
overburden
restored to its previous condition
open-cut mining
mining that scours out soil and rocks on the surface of the land
underground mining
mining that uses shafts and tunnels to remove rock from deep below the surface
alloy
a mixture of a metal with a non-metal or another metal
stoneage
the time beginning about two million years ago during which early humans made implements of stone
flint
a fine-grained sedimentary rock which leaves a very sharp edge when broken
persussion flaking
a process in which tool stones such as flint or obsidian were struck with harder stones, such as quartzite, to shear large flakes that could be used to make small tools
fossil
any remains, impression, or trace of an animal or plant of a former geological age; evidence of life in the past
folding
the buckling of rocks. It is caused when rocks are under pressure from both sides.
paleontologists
a scientist who studies fossils
relative age
the age of a rock compared with the age of another rock
carnivores
animal that eats other animals
scavengers
animals that eat dead plant and animal material
mould
cavity in a rock that shows the shape of the hard parts of an organism; types of fungi found growing on the surface of foods
trace fossils
fossils that provide evidence, such as footprints, that an organism was present when the rock was formed
extinct
describes volcanoes that are no longer active. Extinct volcanoes have not erupted for thousands of years and show no sign of future eruption.
