Earth Materials and Geological Processes

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Earth materials, mineral identification, the rock cycle, soil types, and Philippine geological resources.

Earth Materials

Natural substances that make up the Earth, including rocks, minerals, soil, water, and fossil fuels.

Rocks

Naturally occurring solid aggregates composed of one or more minerals, classified into igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic types.

Minerals

Naturally occurring inorganic solids with a definite chemical composition and crystalline structure; they are the building blocks of rocks.

Soil

A mixture of weathered rock fragments, minerals, organic matter, water, and air that supports plant growth.

Fossil Fuels

Burnable, energy-rich materials such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas formed from ancient organic remains subjected to heat and pressure over millions of years.

Inorganic

A characteristic of minerals meaning they are not produced by living organisms.

Crystalline Structure

An arrangement where atoms in a mineral are organized in an orderly repeating pattern.

Mohs Hardness Scale

A scale ranging from $1$ to $10$ used to measure a mineral's resistance to scratching.

Talc

The softest mineral on the Mohs scale with a hardness number of $1$.

Diamond

The hardest natural mineral on the Mohs scale with a hardness number of $10$.

Luster

The property describing how light reflects from a mineral's surface, categorized as metallic, submetallic, or nonmetallic.

Streak

The color of a mineral in powdered form, tested by rubbing it on an unglazed porcelain plate.

Cleavage

The tendency of a mineral to break along smooth flat planes due to its atomic arrangement.

Fracture

The tendency of a mineral to break irregularly or unevenly, such as the rough fragments formed by Olivine.

Rock Cycle

The continuous process in which rocks transform from one type into another through various geological processes.

Igneous Rocks

Rocks formed from the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.

Intrusive Igneous Rocks

Rocks formed when magma cools slowly beneath Earth's surface, resulting in large visible crystals, such as Granite.

Extrusive Igneous Rocks

Rocks formed when lava cools rapidly on Earth's surface, resulting in small or no crystals, such as Basalt or Obsidian.

Vesicular Texture

A rock texture created by trapped air bubbles, commonly found in rocks like Pumice.

Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks formed from accumulated sediments that become compacted and cemented over time, often containing fossils.

Lithification

The process through which sediments become solid rock through compaction and cementation.

Clastic Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks formed from compacted fragments of pre-existing rocks, such as Conglomerate, Sandstone, and Shale.

Metamorphic Rocks

Rocks formed when existing rocks are changed by intense heat and pressure without melting completely.

Contact Metamorphism

A process occurring when rocks are exposed directly to intense heat from nearby magma or lava, affecting smaller areas.

Regional Metamorphism

A process occurring over large geographic areas due to prolonged intense heat and pressure associated with tectonic plate movement.

Loam

A balanced mixture of sand, silt, and clay that is ideal for farming and gardening due to good drainage and nutrient retention.

Halite

A mineral with a crystalline structure and salty taste, commonly used for food preservation and table salt.

Steel

An industrial material produced by heating iron ore, removing impurities, and adding carbon to strengthen the iron.

Romblon

A location in the Philippines known for its local availability of Marble.

RA 7942

The Philippine Mining Act, a law that regulates mining to ensure environmental sustainability.

RA 9003

The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of the Philippines.

RA 9275

The Philippine Clean Water Act, which regulates water protection.

Porphyry Copper Deposits

Deposits containing copper and gold resources associated with intrusive igneous rocks.

Epithermal Deposits

Gold-rich deposits formed by hydrothermal fluids near Earth's surface.