Untitled Flashcard Set

Geology

The study of Earth materials, processes, and the history of the Earth.

Scientific Method

A process that uses observations, testable hypotheses, predictions, and evidence to investigate phenomena.

Uniformitarianism

The principle that the same geological processes observed today also occurred in the past.

Rock Cycle

The series of processes by which rocks form, change, and are recycled through crystallization, weathering, erosion, deposition, lithification, metamorphism, melting, and uplift.

Plate Tectonics

A theory explaining the movement of Earth's lithospheric plates and its effects on geological phenomena.

Convergent Boundaries

Plate boundaries where two plates collide, often forming mountains or subduction zones.

Divergent Boundaries

Plate boundaries where two plates move apart, creating new oceanic crust at mid-ocean ridges.

Transform Boundaries

Plate boundaries where plates slide past one another, causing earthquakes along fault lines.

Mafic Minerals

Minerals that are rich in iron and magnesium, commonly dark and dense.

Felsic Minerals

Minerals that are rich in silicon and aluminum, lighter in color and less dense.

Magma

Molten rock located beneath the Earth's surface, which can crystallize to form igneous rocks.

Volcanic Rocks

Igneous rocks that form from the cooling and solidification of lava at the Earth's surface.

Plutonic Rocks

Igneous rocks that form from the cooling of magma beneath the Earth's surface.

Erosion

The process by which rocks and soil are worn away and transported by natural forces such as wind or water.

Lithification

The process through which sediment turns into sedimentary rock by compaction and cementation.

Metamorphism

The process by which existing rocks are transformed due to changes in temperature, pressure, and chemical environment.

Chemical Weathering

The breakdown of rocks through chemical reactions, often involving water and atmospheric gases.

Frost Wedging

A mechanical weathering process where water seeps into cracks, freezes, expands, and causes rock to break.

Pyroclastic Flow

A fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic matter that flows down the slopes of a volcano.

Lahar

A volcanic mudflow composed of water, volcanic ash, and debris.

Index Minerals

Minerals that are indicative of specific metamorphic conditions and can be used to infer the pressure-temperature history of a rock.

Paleo-magnetism

The study of the magnetic properties of rocks to determine the history of the Earth's magnetic field.

Sedimentary Rock Types

Classification of sedimentary rocks into categories such as clastic, chemical, and biochemical.

Caldera

A large volcanic crater formed by the collapse of a volcano after an explosive eruption.

Differential Stress

Variation in stress that can lead to deformation in rocks during metamorphism.

Partial Melting

The process where only a portion of a solid is melted, resulting in a mixture of solid and liquid phases.

Decompression Melting

Magma formation due to a decrease in pressure, typically occurring at divergent boundaries.

Fluid Flux Melting

Magma formation due to the introduction of water and other fluids that lower the melting temperature of rocks.

Crust

The outermost layer of the Earth, composed of solid rock and minerals.

Mantle

The layer of the Earth located between the crust and the core, composed of semi-solid rock.

Core

The innermost layer of the Earth, made up of iron and nickel, consisting of a solid inner core and a liquid outer core.

Arc Volcanism

Volcanism that occurs at convergent plate boundaries, typically forming volcanic arcs.

Rifting

The process of tectonic plates moving apart, forming new crust, often associated with divergent boundaries.