Geology Flashcards
MINERALS
Substance and chemicals
that create rocks
LITHOSPHERE
The earths furthermost layer from the earths core. It consist of mantle and crust.
Magma
A very hot mixture of rocks and gases. Magma is just below the earths surface.
Sediments
MATERIALS mostly consisting of rocks that are broken down by weathering and erosion and then moved by wind or water.
Native elements
Uncombined materials found in earths crusts
Crystals
Pieces of the same kind that are solid substance with highly transparent glass.
Lustre
The appearance of a mineral determined by the way it reflects light e.g waxy, metallic.
Streak
The powdery substance left after scratching the mineral rock on a ceramic tile
Hardness
Geology wise, the hardness of the rock is determined by scratching the rock. This shows how strong the rock is
Igneous rocks
Rocks that form from the cooling of lava or magma as it’s thrown through the air by a volcanoe
Extrusive rocks
Igneous rocks that cool down above earths surface
Pumice
A pale rock that can float on water. It is very light as it cools down very quickly because of it being thrown into the volcanic ashes and air. It has holes.
Scoria
A dark igneous rock from gassy lava that cools down very quickly
Abrasive
A property of a material or substance that looks powdery because it’s the substance that is scratched by another object. Pumice abrasive is used for cleaning products.
Basalt
A dark igneous rock with small crystals, fast cooling and has holes that once contained volcanic gases.
Obsidian
A black lustrous glassy rock that can be broken easily
Granite
Hard igneous rock with different colour crystals large enough to see. It’s an intrusive rock.
Batholiths
Intrusive rock mass that measure more than 100 km across
Intrusive rocks
Igneous rock that forms when magma cools below earth surface
Sedimentary rocks
Rocks that are formed from particles of sediments. Under pressure, weathering and erosion these sediments form together and make a rock.
Metamorphic rocks
Rocks that are formed from great pressure and heat, heat coming from the mantle and pressure coming from it being in the depth of the surface.
Erosion
The process of a substance losing its natural stand from weathering.
Floodplain
An area of low lying ground that is next to a river, formed by river sediment and subjects of flooding
Glacier
A slow moving mass of solid ice formed by the compaction of snow.
Gneiss
A metamorphic rock, typically rough and consisting mainly of quartz and other minerals
Slate
A fine grained rock , mostly the colour grey,very flat.
Moraine
A mass of rocks and sediments carried down by a glacier.
Sandstone
A sedimentary rock consisting mainly of sand and quartz.
Conglomerate
A thing consisting of a number of different distinct parts that are grouped.
Metamorphism
Change in form of a rock by heat, pressure.
Coal
A black or dark brown rock that used to be plat life. It is used as fuel
Mudstone
A dark sedimentary rock consisting of mostly mud.
Shale
Soft finely flat sedimentary rock that is very fragile.
Siltstone
Fine grained sedimentary rock consisting silt
Limestone
A hard sedimentary rock composed mainly of dead sea animals.
Rock salt
A sedimentary rock deposited when a salt lake is dried up, making its rocks mainly sodium chloride
Mineral ores
Rock mined to obtain its metal or other chemicals in them.
Mining
Extraction of natural resources from earths crusts
Environmental impact statement
Study of possible effects of a planned project on the environment, nature.
Rehabilitated
Changed back to its previous condition
Overburden
Water rock moved from below the topsoil. This rock is replaced in another or its own original spot when the area is not needed.
Open-cut mining
Mining that takes out soil and rocks from the surface of the land
Underground mining
Mining that uses tunnels or shafts to go inside earths surface and remove rock deep below.
Stone Age
An era about 2 millions Y ago during which early humans used and made things out of stones.
Alloy
A mixture of metal with another metal or non metal
Flint
A sedimentary rock which can be used to make fire and has very shrapnel edges when broken.
Percussion flaking
A process where tool stones are used e.g fling were struck with harder stones to make large flakes, shedding that can be used for smaller tools.
Fossil
Any remains or traces of animals or trees from former life
Palaeontologist
A person who studies fossils
Folding
The bulking of rocks, it is caused from pressure in both sides.
Relative age
The age of a rock compared to another rock
Mould
Cavity/fungi on a rock coming from an organism that died and it’s harder parts moulded into the rock.
Trace fossils
Fossils that consist evidence such as footprints showing when the thing was present.
Extinct
Things that are no longer alive, active or never to be seen anymore
Carnivores
Animals that eat each other.
Scavengers
Animals that eat dead plants or animal material.
Ectothermic
An animal whose body temp is depended by its environment
Endothermic
Able to maintain a constant temp that are usually above their surroundings but requires heat input to maintain.
