Unit II - Rocks and Minerals Flashcards
absolute age
the age in years, of something
chemical weathering
the breaking down of rock as its chemical composition changes
what is the difference between weathering and erosion?
weathering is the breaking down of rock, while erosion moves the rock from one place to another
cleavage
mineral breaking with smooth flat surfaces
density
the mass per unit volume of a mineral
erosion
the wearing away and removal of rock or sediment
extrusive
igneous rock formed from lava
foliated
metamorphic rock with visible layers of mineral grains
non-foliated
metamorphic rock with no visible layers of mineral grains
fracture
mineral breaking with no smooth flat surfaces
fossil
remains, imprint, or trace of prehistoric organisms
geology
the study of the earth
half-life
the time it takes for half of a substance to decay
hardness
a mineral’s resistance to scratching
igneous rock
formed when melted rock cools and hardens
intrusive
igneous rock formed from magma
metamorphic rock
formed when existing rock is heated/ squeezed deep within Earth
mineral
inorganic solid made of specific elements found in nature
mineralogy
the study of minerals
radiometric dating
the process of calculating the absolute age of a rock
rock
a combination of two or more minerals
rock cycle
a model that shows how rock can change from one type to another
sediment
pieces of broken rock, shells, and mineral grains
sedimentary rock
formed when sediment collects in layers and hardens over time
soil
a mixture of weathered rock, organic matter, water, and air that supports life
specific gravity
tthe ratio of a material’s density to water’s density
streak
the color of a mineral’s powder
mechanical weathering
the breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces without changing them chemically
how are rocks related to each other? and how do they change form one to another?
rocks relate to each other because of the rock cycle, which conspicuously shows that a sediment rock can turn into a metamorphic rock, etc. they change from one form to another viat heat and compaction, weathering and erosion, melting, and more.
what FIVE factors affect soil formation?
parent rock, slope of land, climate, time, and organisms
How does erosion change the surface of the earth over time?
erosion changes the surface of the earth over time by wearing away land and moving it from one place to another, thus creating various landforms, such as mountains, canyons, etc.
Which river eroded the Grand Canyon?
colorado river
what can prevent erosion?
planting trees
what two landforms are most affected by weathering?
glacier and mountains
why is glacial erosion not obvious?
because it is a slow process
igneous intrusion
magma that’s forced its way through sedimentary rock and became igneous rock
fault
a crack or break in rock
unconformities
gaps in rock sequences hat develop when agents of erosion wash or scrape them away
What type of unconfromities are there?
angular unconformity, disconformity, and nonconformity
THREE aspects of ANGULAR UNCONFORMITY
tilted and uplifted, layers erode, and new layers form
THREE aspects of DISCONFORMITY
bumps, and no new deposit occuring, and records still have gap
THREE aspects of Nonconformity
metamorphic/igneous rocks uplifted and eroded, sedimentary rocks deposited above eroded surface, surface between the two rock types is called nonconformity
where are the oldest rock layers located?
the bottom
what does uranium-238 convert to
lead-206
what does carbon-14 convert to
nitrogen-14
how long does it take for parent, uranium-238 to convert to daughter?
4.5 billion years
what is the half=life of carbon-14
5700 years
why is uranium-238 more efficient to use than carbon-14?
uranium-238 has a larger number of years, and rocks tend to have larger years, so doing 5700 years can be evitable by using uranium-238, 4.5 billion years
name 2 types of fossils
trace fossils and body fossils
what are the limitations to using uranium-238?
uranium-238 cannot always be used because not all rocks consist of uranium.
what are the four agents of erosion?
gravity, ice, wind, and water
what are the three causes of chemical weathering?
carbonic acid, tannic acid, and oxygen
what are the three types of chemical weathering?
dissolution, oxidation, and hydrolisis
where does hydrolisis usually occur?
moist regions
what is the scientific word for rust?
iron oxide
does chemical weathering occur more slowly in polar or desert regions?
either, because both regions are dry.
where in earth would chemical weathering occur faster? why?
moist regionsuch as ther rainforest, because the rainforest has tannic acid, found from plants roots.
treu or false: weathering is the term that is used to descibe all the processes that break down rocks
true
what are the six types of weathering? ‘CAFE-TT’
crystal growth, abrasion, frost wedging, exfoliation, thermal expansion, and abrasion
where does thermal expansion usually occur?
desert regions
how can tree roots cause mechanical weathering?
as trees age, their roots get larger, causing breakage in sidewalks, and more.
how does frost weding cause mechanical weathering?
water seeps into cracks and freezes over time, causing breakage.
how does thermal expansion cause mechanical weathering?
repeated heating and cooling
how does exfoliation cause mechanical wethering?
it peels layers
how does abrasian cause mechanical weathering?
rocks are broken down by direct actions of other rocks
how can igneous rock turn into sediment?
weathering and erosion
how can sediments turn into sedimentary rock?
compaction and cementation
how do all types of rock turn into magma?
melting
How do rocks turn into metamorphic rock?
heat and pressure
how do rocks turn into sediments?
weathering and erosion
how does magma turn into igneous rock?
cooling
How can granite turn into a metamorphic rock?
if it isn’t collected by humans, granite can become gneiss. the only differentce is the number of minerals
what metamorphic rock can granite transform to?
gneiss
what metamorphic rock can quartz turn into?
marble
what is deposition
act of layers being formed
what is compaction
pressure added to bottom layer
what is cementation
when water mixes with mineral grains and adheses them together
what determines roughness of rock?
size of sediments
conglomeration
pile of different things
name four types of sedimentary rock
shale, sandstone, limestone, and conglomerate
process of sedimentary rocks
weathering and erosion, sediments combine, deposition, compaction, cementation
what is the importance of limestone
used to create cement which is why it is beneficial
where CAN’T igneous rocks form?
core of magma chamber.
where CAN igneous rocks form?
intrusion or volcano
does specific gravity have a unit
not, because both get cancelled out anyway
What mineral was thought to be gold
pyrite
what is flourite used for
toothpaste, drinking water
what is zicronium used for
deodorant, and jewelry
what is nickel used for
coins, stainless steel, alnico, magnets, and sheetrock
what is potassium used for
fertilizer and toothpaste
what is beryllium used for
flourescent lights
formula for density
d = m/v
formula for specific gravity
sg = density of mineral/density of water
what aspect do intrusive rocks usually have
crystals
how does crystal growth cause weathering
salt crystals can form between pores and break apart rocks
how does dissolution cause chemical weathering
it tears mineral grains apart, kind of like how you mix tea with sugar.
where does oxidation usually occur
iron
how does hydrolisis cause chemical weathering
direct contact with water.
