Geology Vocabulary

A comprehensive vocabulary flashcard set covering geology terms, concepts, and definitions provided in the study material.

Alfred Wegener

German meteorologist hypothesized continental drift.

Asthenosphere

the soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats

Chemical Weathering

The process that breaks down rock through chemical changes

Convection Current

the movement of a fluid, caused by differences in temperature, that transfers heat from one part of the fluid to another

Convergent

a plate boundary where two plates move toward each other

Crust

the layer of rock that forms Earth's outer surface

Deep-Ocean Trench

a deep valley or canyon along the ocean floor beneath which oceanic crust slowly sinks toward the mantle

Deposition

Process in which sediment is laid down in new locations.

Divergent

a plate boundary where two plates move away from each other

Earthquake

the shaking that results from the movement of rock beneath Earth's surface

Erosion

Processes by which rock, sand, and soil are broken down and carried away (i.e. weathering, glaciation)

Extinction

A term that typically describes a species that no longer has any known living individuals.

Fault

a break in Earth's crust where tectonic plates slip past each other

Fold

a bend in layers of rock, sometimes caused by plate movement

Fossil

any remains, trace, or imprint of a plant or animal that has been preserved in the earth's crust since some past geologic or prehistoric time

Fossil Record

Chronological collection of life's remains in sedimentary rock layers

Igneous

a type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or below the surface

Index Fossil

a fossil known to have lived in a particular geologic age that can be used to date the rock layer in which it is found

Inner Core

a dense sphere of solid iron and nickel at the center of Earth

Intrusion

An igneous rock layer formed when magma hardens beneath Earth's surface.

Lava

liquid magma that reaches the surface

Lithosphere

a rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and all the crust

Magma

the molten mixture of rock-forming substances, gases, and water from the mantle

Mantle

the layer of hot, solid material between Earth's crust and core

Mechanical Weathering

The type of weathering in which rock is physically broken into smaller pieces

Mid-Ocean Ridge

an undersea mountain chain where new ocean floor is produced

Outer Core

a layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of Earth

Pangaea

the name of the single landmass that broke apart 200 million years ago and gave rise to today's continents

Plate Tectonics

the theory that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle

Pressure

the force exerted on a surface divided by the area over which the force is exerted

Relative Dating

Method of determining the age of a fossil by comparing its placement with that of fossils in other layers of rock

Rift Valley

a deep valley that forms where two plates move apart

Seafloor Spreading

the process by which molten material adds new oceanic crust to the ocean floor

Strata

layers of sedimentary rock

Subduction

the process by which oceanic crust sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench and back into the mantle at a convergent plate boundary

Superposition

a principle that states that younger rocks lie above older rocks if the layers have not been disturbed

Transform

a plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions

Uplift

the rising of regions of the Earth's crust to higher elevations

Volcano

a weak spot in the crust where magma has come to the surface

Weathering

The breaking down of rocks and other materials on the Earth's surface.