Untitled Flashcards Set

Precambrian era

A geological era when the Canadian Shield was formed through cycles of mountain building and erosion, beginning 4.6 billion years ago.

Erratic

A misfit boulder picked up by glaciers and deposited kilometers away.

Pangea

A theory that states all continents were once part of a landmass called Pangea.

Convection currents

Slow-moving currents in the mantle responsible for the movement of tectonic plates.

Lithosphere

Also known as the Earth's crust, the outermost shell of the planet.

Mantle

The layer of the Earth located between the crust and the core.

Inner core

The dense, solid layer of the Earth, mainly composed of iron and some nickel.

Outer core

The very dense, liquid layer of the Earth, primarily made of iron and some nickel.

Continental plates

Large, slowly moving pieces of the Earth's crust that move due to convection currents in the mantle.

Mesozoic

A geological era that began 245 million years ago, characterized by the breakup of Pangea and the formation of the Innuitian and Rocky Mountains.

Cenozoic

The geological era that began 66 million years ago, featuring many periods of glaciation and the continents taking on their present shape.

Paleozoic

A geological era that began 570 million years ago, known for the formation of fossil fuels and salt beds when Canada was closer to the equator.

Igneous rock

Rock that forms when molten rock cools, hardens, and crystallizes; examples include basalt and granite.

Sedimentary rock

Rocks formed from sediments deposited in low-lying areas that undergo lithification; examples include sandstone, shale, and limestone.

Metamorphic rock

Rocks that have been changed from their original state due to heat and pressure; examples include gneiss, slate, and marble.

Subduction zone

An area where an oceanic plate slides under a continental plate and is re-melted in the mantle.

Ring of fire

A region in the Pacific Ocean characterized by a high level of seismic and volcanic activity.

Highlands

Mountains that include the Appalachian, Innuitian, and Western Cordillera mountains.

Lowlands

Valleys formed by regions such as the Interior Plains and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands.

Hotspot

An isolated and fixed spot of volcanic activity; an example is the Hawaiian Islands.

Mid-ocean ridge

A divergent plate boundary where two plates move apart, resulting in the creation of new crust and a ridge.

Glaciation

The process during which large areas, including almost all of Canada, were covered by ice sheets, significantly lowering ocean levels.

Moraine

Ridges or hills of till found at the ends or sides of a glacier.

Alpine glacier

A glacier found in mountain regions that moves down valleys from high to low elevations.

Continental glacier

A large glacier that occupies greater areas of land, smoothing the landscape by eroding higher points.

Tundra

A treeless plain with permanently frozen subsoil.

Fjord

A long, narrow, glacially formed sea inlet that cuts into the coast.

Bog

A type of wetland found in northern areas that features acid-rich soils and low-growing plants like mosses.

Rainforest

A tall, dense forest that grows in rainy climates, such as in British Columbia.

Innuitian Mountains

Mountains formed when the North American plate moved northward during the breakup of Pangea causing the rocks to fold

Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River

Water bodies formed from sediments eroded from the Canadian Shield and Appalachian region, shaped by glaciers and Faulting