unit 5 topic 1-6 Flashcards
Minerals
an inorganic, naturally occurring solid material
Rock
a natural material composed of one or more minerals
crust
the thin, outermost layer of Earth
element
a type of pure substance made of one type of particle or atom that cannot be broken down into simpler parts by chemical means
Crystals
the building block of minerals crystals occur naturally and have straight edges, flat sides, and regular angles
lustre
the light-reflecting properties, or “shininess,” of minerals
streak
the colour of a mineral in powdered form a property useful in the identification of minerals
Cleavage
the characteristic of splitting along smooth, flat planes
Fracture
the property of some minerals to break with rough or jagged surfaces
Igneous Rock
the type of rock that is formed by the solidification of hot magma it is defined as either intrusive or extrusive
Magma
melted rock, formed under Earth’s crust by high temperature and pressure. magma occasionally escapes to Earth’s surface as
lava
lava
lava the term used for magma when it breaks through Earth’s crust, in a volcanic eruption
Intrusive rock
the type of igneous rock formed when magma cools and
solidifies below Earth’s crust
Extrusive
the type of igneous rock formed when magma cools and solidifies above Earth’s crust
Sedimentary Rock
the most common type of rock on Earth’s surface; formed by the compacting of sediment
sediment
loose material such as bits of rock, minerals, and plant and animal remains
stratification
the arrangement of sedimentary rock in visible layers
cementation
a process by which particles are held together by another material
Metamorphic Rock
a type of rock made when high pressure and heat act on another type of rock and change it into a new form
rock cycle
the naturally occurring process in which rocks continue to change form over long periods of time
compost
the part of soil composed of dead plant matter
humus
the dark-coloured part of soil that is rich in nutrients
topsoil
the topmost layer of soil, which is dark-coloured and rich in humus
Leaching
the process by which materials from soil are dissolved and carried away by water
erosion
movement of rock and mineral grains from one place to another
weathering
the process in which rocks are broken down and sediment is formed by mechanical, chemical, or biological means
frost wedging
a process of mechanical weathering that occurs when water goes through a cycle of freezing and thawing
sedimentation
the process in which eroded material is deposited and built up
chemical weathering
the break-up or disintegration of rocks through the effects of chemical reactions upon them
biological weathering
the break- up or disintegration of rocks
through the physical or chemical effects of living organisms
abrasion
the wearing down of rocks by wind, ice, waves, and running water
sonar
a technology that bounces sound waves off an object to determine
its distance from the source of
the waves
sea floor spreading
the process in which an ocean floor slowly increases in size over time because of the formation of new igneous rock along a fault
Plates
one of the large sections into which Earth’s crust is divided
converging plates
two or more plates colliding
Diverging plates
two or more plates moving away from each other
convection current
a flow resulting from the rising of warm materials and the sinking of cooler denser materials
subduction zones
a place on Earth’s crust where high pressure
pushes one very large piece of rock below another
