Topic 9 Rocks Flashcards
Minerals
A natural substance that makes up rocks
Lithosphere
The outermost layer of the earth
Magma
A hot mixture of molten rock and gases below the earths surface or crust
Sediments
Material broken down by weathering and erosion
Native
Elements found uncombined in earths crust
Elements
Elements found naturally that is uncombined in earths crust
Crystals
Geometrically shaped substances made up of atoms and molecules
Lustre
Appearance of a mineral caused by the way it reflects light
Streak
Colour of a mineral as a fine powder
Hardness
A measure of how difficult it is to scratch the surface of a solid material
Igneous rocks
Rock that are form by Cooling of lava or magma as it is thrown through the air
Extrusive rocks
Igneous rock that form when lava cools above surface
Pumice
Pale rock that forms when frothy (air) lava cools in the air, only rock that can float
Scoria
Dark igneous rock that is formed by gassy lava
Abrasive
A property that easily scratches another
Basalt
A dark igneous rock with small crystals formed by fast cooling of hot lava
Obsidian
A black glassy rock that breaks into pieces with a smooth shell like surfaces
Intrusive rocks
Igneous rocks that forms when magma cools below earths surface
Batholiths
Instructive rock that measures more than 100 kilometres across
Granite
Hard crystal rock with different coloured crystals large enough to see
Sedimentary rocks
Rocks that are sedimented together in layers, under pressure.
Metamorphic rocks
Rock that is formed by another rock that has been under great heat pressure.
Erosion
The weathering away and removal of soil and rock by natural elements, such as wind, waves, rivers, ice and human activity
Floodplains
Flood open land that is beside a river were sediments are deposited during a flood.
Glaciers
Large bodies of ice that moves down slopes and pushes rocks and gravel in front of them
Moraines
Deposit left by the movement of a glacier
Sandstone
A sedimentary rock with medium sized grains, the grains are cemented together by Silica lime or other salts
Mudstone
A fine grained sedimentary rock without layering
Shale
A fined grained sedimentary rock formed in layers by making the clay stronger
Siltstone
A sedimentary rock with a particle size between a sandstone and a mudstone
Conglomerate
Sedimentary rock found with large particles with various sizes cemented together
Coal
Sedimentary rocks formed by dead plants and animals that were
Rock salt
Sedimentary deposit formed when a salt lake or seabed dried up
Metamorphism
The process that changes rocks by extreme pressure or heat
Slate
A fined grained metamorphic rock formed as a result of moderate heat and pressure on shale
Gneiss
A coarse grained metamorphic rock formed Mainly as a results of great pressure on granite
Mineral ores
Rocks mined to obtain a metal or other chemicals within them.
Mining
Extraction of natural resources from the earth
Environmental impact statement
Study of possible effects planned projects on the environment
Rehabilitate
Restored to it previous condition
Overburden
Waste rock removed below the topsoil, then the rock is replaced when the area is restored .
Open cut mining
Mining the scours out soil and rocks on the surface on the land
Underground mining
Mining that uses the shafts and tunnels to remove rock from deep below the surface
Stone Age
The time beginning about two million years ago during which early humans made implements of stone
Alloy
A mixture of metal with a non metal or another metal
Flint
A fined grained sedimentary rock which leaves a very sharp edge when broken.
Percussion flaking
A process to which tool stones such a flint and obsidian were struck with harder stones such as quartzite to make small tools
Fossils
Any remains or trace of an animal or plant of a former geological age.
Palaeontologisits
A scientist who studies fossils
Folding
The bulking of rocks this is caused when a rock is under pressure from both sides.
Relative age
The age of a rock compared with another rocks age.
Mould
A rock that shows the hard parts of an organism or fungi found on the surface of foods.
Trace fossils
Fossils that provide evidence such as foot prints that a organism was present when the rock was found
Extinct
Describes volcanoes that are no longer active
Ectothermic
Describes an animals who’s body temperature is determined by it environment.
Endothermic
Describes an animal that requires heat input to maintain its body temperature.
