Geology Quiz Flashcards
Orogeny
The process of mountain formation through tectonic forces.
Tectonic Plates
Large slabs of Earth’s lithosphere that move and interact.
Convergent Boundary
Where two tectonic plates collide, forming mountains (e.g., Himalayas).
Divergent Boundary
Where tectonic plates move apart, forming underwater ridges or rift valleys (e.g., Mid-Atlantic Ridge).
Fault-Block Mountains
Mountains formed by large blocks of Earth’s crust moving along faults (e.g., Sierra Nevada).
Folding
The bending of rock layers due to pressure.
Faulting
The breaking and shifting of rock layers along cracks (faults).
Volcanism
Mountains formed by volcanic activity (e.g., Mount St. Helens).
Uniformitarianism
The idea that the geological processes we observe today have been happening throughout Earth’s history.
Superposition
In undisturbed layers of rock, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest at the top.
Cross-Cutting Relationships
A feature (like a fault or intrusion) that cuts through a rock is younger than the rock it cuts.
Phanerozoic Eon
Current eon, started about 541 million years ago.
Paleozoic Era
Age of ancient life (541 to 252 million years ago).
Mesozoic Era
Age of reptiles/dinosaurs (252 to 66 million years ago).
Cenozoic Era
Age of mammals (66 million years ago to present).