Physical Geography

Intrusive Igneous Rocks

(also called plutonic rocks) cool and solidify beneath Earth's surface where non-magmatic material serves as insulation that greatly retards the rate of cooling. Because of the slow cooling, intrusively formed igneous rocks, such as granite, tend to be coarse-grained and lightly colored

intermediate-silica andesitic magma

(which produces the volcanic rock andesite and the plutonic rock diorite)

high-silica felsic magma

(which produces the volcanic rock as rhyolite and the plutonic rock granite)

low-silica mafic magma

(which produces the volcanic rock basalt and the plutonic rock gabbro).

On a map with a fractional scale of 1:10,000, one centimeter measured on the map represents what actual distance on Earth's surface?

10,000 Centimeters

A Wegener's reasons for theory

1Puzzle like shape of different continents. and mountains correlating . 2. Fossil records are similar in places that dont make sense without plate movement Mesosaurus fossils have been found in southeastern South America and southwestern Africa. during the same time period. 3. Glacier movementSpecifically, about 280 million years ago, extensive areas of Pangaea were glaciated. When the continents are placed back in their former positions, the patterns of ice movement and glacial deposition make sense.

Tropic of Cancer

23. 5 N

Tropic of Capricorn

23.5 S

arctic circle

66.5 N

Antarctic circle

66.5 S

North Pole

90 N

South Pole

90 S

Hot Spot

A hot spot, or mantle plume, is a location where molten mantle magma rises to, or almost to, Earth's surface. In regions where mantle plumes are found, volcanoes and/or hydrothermal (hot water) features are present (such as the Hawaiian Islands and the geothermal features in Yellowstone National Park). The cause of these plumes is unknown, but recent research indicates that explanation of hot spots may be more complex than previously assumed. For example, seismic tomography suggests that some mantle plumes may be shallow and that some may be more mobile than previously believed. A hot spot trail is formed by the movement of a tectonic plate over a mantle plume (or hotspot). Hot spot trails are comprised of a series of volcanically formed islands and/or sea mounts. A volcanic island arc is a chain of volcanic islands associated with an oceanic plate-oceanic plate subduction zone. The mantle plume model suggests that midplate volcanic activity develops over narrow plumes of heated material rising through the mantle—perhaps originating as deep as the core-mantle boundary. Such mantle plumes are believed to be stationary over long periods of time. As the magma rises through the plate above, it creates hot spot volcanoes (such as the Hawaiian Islands) and/or hydrothermal features on the surface. The plate above the hot spot is moving, so the volcanoes or other hot spot features are eventually carried off the plume and become inactive, while in turn new volcanic features develop over the plume, so generating a straight-line hot spot trail.

Con formal map

A map that has wacked as shit with area ratios,but has consistent shape and angular projections of landmasses.

Outcrop

A mass of solid rock found exposed at Earth's surface is referred to as an

lAHAR(MUDFLOW)

A volcanic mudflow, or lahar, is comprised of loose ash and pyroclastic flow deposits that have been left behind on the side of a volcanic mountain during previous volcanic eruptions. This deposited material can easily be mobilized by heavy rain or by the melting of snow and glaciers during an eruption. Lahars typically flow down the slopes of a volcano through stream valleys, leaving the valley floor buried in thick mud and debris. They can reach speeds of greater than 50 kilometers per hour

Mercator projection is bad for

Area, as the map aproaches the north And south poles the area measurements get messed. up Di

Basalt

Basalt is extrusive Igneus rock that is very fine and black, but its appearance is usually black in color, and it has a low silica content.

Oceanic-continental convergence

Because oceanic lithosphere includes dense basaltic crust, it is denser than continental lithosphere, and so oceanic lithosphere always underrides continental lithosphere when the two collide. The dense oceanic plate slowly and inexorably sinks into the asthenosphere in the process of subduction. this cause plate pulling sand a parallel deep oceanic trench develops as the seafloor is pulled down by the subducting plate. Volcanoes develop from magma generated in the subduction zone. Early researchers thought that a subducted plate would melt when pushed down into the hot asthenosphere. However, more recent calculations indicate that such a result is unlikely. Oceanic crust is relatively cold when it approaches a subduction zone and would take a long time to become hot enough to melt. causing it to melt. This magma rises through the overriding plate, producing both extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks. The chain of volcanoes that develops in association with an oceanic-continental plate subduction zone is sometimes referred to as a continental volcanic arc

The asthenosphere

Below the lithosphere the asthenosphere consists of a similar make up of rocks, but they are plastic in nature because of heat and pressure.

difference between joint and fault

Both joints and faults involve cracks in bedrock, but joints do not involve relative movement of the walls making up the crack, while faults do. They are also different because faults are individual or occur only in small numbers, whereas joints are normally abundant.

Atmosphere—the gaseous envelope of air that surrounds Earth (atmo is Greek for "air"). Hydrosphere—water in all its forms, with the oceans making up the majority of it (hydro is Greek for "water"). Lithosphere—the solid, inorganic portion of Earth; it comprises the rocks of Earth's crust and the mineral matter that overlies the solid bedrock (litho is Greek for "stone"). Biosphere—all the living organisms of Earth (bio is Greek for "life").

Briefly define the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere

Where is Colorado in latitude definiton?

Colorado is in the North latitude

Describe the shape of the earth

Earth may be considered a sphere, although it is actually an oblate spheroid and not a true sphere. Because we are studying the physical aspects of Earth's geography, it is important to keep in mind that its shape is affected by (1) the pliability of Earth's lithosphere, which allows it to develop a bulge in the midriff, and (2) topographical irregularities in Earth's surface.

exfoliation dome

Exfoliation is a form of mechanical weathering in which curved layers peel off of bedrock. In most instances, this process occurs in granite and intrusive rocks, but it may also occur in sandstone and other sedimentary strata. While not completely understood, the most widely accepted explanation for this process is unloading or pressure release. This is the release of pressure on these rock masses through the removal of overlying material that was present when the intrusive bodies were

Extrusive Igneous Rocks

Extrusive rocks are from material that flowed out onto Earth's surface while still in a molten state (also known as lava). As this material emerged, it cooled quickly in the surrounding air. Because of the rapid cooling, extrusively formed igneous rocks, such as basalt, tend to be dark colored and fine-grained.

Granite

Granite is an intrusive igneous. It is very coarse and light colored. Since it cooled over a slower period of time their are bigger Crystal, and mineral composition. high silicate content

Oceanic-oceanic

If the convergent boundary is between two oceanic plates, subduction also takes place. As one of the oceanic plates subducts beneath the other, an oceanic trench is formed, shallow- and deep-focus earthquakes occur, and volcanic activity is initiated with volcanoes forming on the ocean floor. With time, a 8 develops; such an arc may eventually become a more mature island arc system (such as Japan and islands of Sumatra and Java in Indonesia are today)

What is foliation, and under what conditions are metamorphic rocks likely to be foliated

If the minerals in a metamorphic rock show a prominent alignment or orientation, we say that the rock is foliated. Dynamic geologic environments, such as the margins of colliding plates, create the directed stresses necessary to produced foliated metamorphic rocks.

0-90, 0-180

Latitude ranges from _____° to _____° north and south, while longitude ranges from _____° to _____° east and west.

how are sediments formed

Layers of sediment are placed down under the force of gravity and then harden to form rock

Plates

Lithospheric plates are comprised of continental or oceanic crust along with the uppermost mantle.

how plates move

Lithospheric plates are comprised of continental or oceanic crust along with the uppermost mantle. The general process is associated with seafloor spreading. Convection currents bring magma from the asthenosphere up through fissures in the oceanic crust. The cooled and therefore solidified magma becomes a new portion of ridge along the ocean floor, and the two sides of the ridge spread away from each other. Where denser ocean lithosphere converges with lighter continental lithosphere, the oceanic plate slides under the continental plate in a process called subduction. Magma produced by this subduction rises to form volcanoes and igneous intrusions.

Magma

MOlten material below the earth's furface

Lava

Magma once it gets to the crust

Organically accumulated sedimentary

Organically accumulated sedimentary rocks, including lignite (soft, brown coal) and bituminous coal (soft, black coal), are formed from the compacted remains of dead plant mater

Why physical geographers are interested in globalization

Outside of the realm of culture and economics, globalization also possesses environmental components (e.g., tropical rainforests decline because of the conversion of land to agriculture, climate change as a result of increased industrialization and consumption). Because of geography's global perspective and its interest in both the natural and human landscape, geographers are able to offer insights into many of the world's most pressing problems.

physical geography and cultural geography

Physical geography deals with those elements of Earth that are natural in origin cultural geography deals with elements of human endeavor (such as language, religion, and so on). For this reason, physical geography is sometimes referred to as environmental geography and cultural geography is sometimes referred to as human geography.

talus cone

Pieces of unsorted, angular rock that fall on a slope are referred to collectively as talus, or scree. Sometimes the fragments accumulate relatively uniformly along the base of the slope, in which case the resultant landform is called a talus slope or talus apron. More characteristically, however, the dislodged rocks collect in sloping, cone-shaped heaps called talus cones. This cone pattern is commonplace because most steep bedrock slopes and cliffs are seamed by vertical ravines and gullies that funnel the falling rock fragments into piles directly at the base of the ravines, usually producing a series of talus cones side by side along the base of the slope or cliff. Some falling fragments, especially larger ones with their greater momentum, tumble and roll to the base of the cone. Most of the new talus, however, comes to rest at the upper end of the cone. The cone thereby grows up the mountainside.

importance of rock openings

Rock openings facilitate and expedite weathering in that they provide avenues along which weathering agents can attack the bedrock and break it apart.

an anticline

Specifically, is a simple symmetrical upfold, an

the importance of geologic time to the doctrine of uniformitarianism

Stuff that happens today happened int the same way BILLIONS of years ago. uniformitarianism necessitates that the geologic processes of the past must have also been extremely slow and of an incremental nature, thus requiring a geologic time scale. However, many other factors point to a geologic time scale at work, such as the formation of strata in the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River's subsequent incising through them, thus giving further credence to the doctrine of uniformitarianism. Thus, each one supports the other.

why the Mercator is good for navigation

The Mercator projection is a special-purpose projection that was created more than 400 years ago as a tool for straight-line navigation. The advantage of the Mercator projection is that a straight line drawn on the map represents a true compass course, or a loxodrome (rhumb line)

Mercator projection is good for,

The Mercator projection is still commonly used for areas near the equator, however, where distortion is minimal. for navigation

how sea floor spreading has taken place

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, as well as the ridges that run approximately in the middle of each ocean (at the very least, some distance from the continents bordering the ocean basins), exemplifies the fact that seafloor spreading has been occurring. Looking at its paleomagnetism and core samples shows how seafloor spreading created it. Specifically, it was created by the addition of new crust and so spread laterally, with a relatively symmetrical pattern of magnetic 7 © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.orientation on either side of the ridge that reflects the periodic reversals in Earth's magnetic field. Likewise, core samples show that the oldest material is furthest away from the ridges; whereas the newest lies on the ridge. This process supports the presence of a heat convection system in Earth, which provides the mechanism for plate tectonics, allowing the plates to move across Earth. The seafloor spreading contributes to how the plates move, break up, raft about, collide, and so on.

Inner core

The center,it has the same makeup of the outer core but is so pressurized it is solid.

Why do longitude Degrees change ?

The distance between 1° of longitude at the equator is approximately 111 kilometers, or 69 miles, and the distance then decreases to 0 kilometers, or 0 miles, at the poles.

focus vs epicenter

The focus, or center, is the subsurface area where an earthquake is initiated. The epicenter is the location on the ground directly above the focus of an earthquake, where the strongest shocks and greatest crustal vibrations are often felt.

theory of plate tectonics and the explanation of movement

The general process is associated with seafloor spreading. Convection currents bring magma from the asthenosphere up through fissures in the oceanic crust. The cooled and therefore solidified magma becomes a new portion of ridge along the ocean floor, and the two sides of the ridge spread away from each other. Where denser ocean lithosphere converges with lighter continental lithosphere, the oceanic plate slides under the continental plate in a process called subduction. Magma produced by this subduction rises to form volcanoes and igneous intrusions

The lithosphere

The lithosphere is the uppermost zone of mantle and the crust together. It also includes the tectonic plates, consisting of the crust and upper rigid mantle. The lithosphere is also sometimes used as a general term for the entire solid Earth.

crust

The outermost shell of the earth. consists of solid rock. It makes up .4% of the earth's crust

Seismology and finding mid ocean ridghe system

The relationship between the distribution of seismic activity and mid-ocean ridges and deep oceanic trenches is striking. Using a world network of seismographs, seismologists were able to pinpoint the location of every significant earthquake in the world. When earthquake locations were mapped, it was clear that earthquakes don't occur randomly around the world; instead, most earthquakes occur in bands, often coinciding with the pattern of the mid-ocean ridge system and deep oceanic trenches.

Why are lines of latitude called parallels

They are parallel to eachother

equivalent map

This is a area based map and all the areas and ratios of the landforms are correct. This projection leads to warped projections with strange correct area ratios but shape and angles aren't preserved

Oceanic Lithosphere

This is the denser material but it is less thick it consists of ade up of silica and magnesium (sima for short), and possesses a density of 3.0 grams per cubic centimeter

What is the most common mineral on earth

V=Silicate minerals combine two of the most abundant chemical elements in the lithosphere (oxygen and silicon) and are also combined with another element or elements

Equilibrium

When the Inputs and Outputs are the same

continental-continental

Where there is a convergent boundary between two continental plates, no subduction takes place because continental crust is too buoyant to subduct. Instead, huge mountain ranges, such as the Alps, are built up. The most dramatic present-day example of continental collision has resulted in the formation of the Himalayas. The Himalayas began to form about 35 million years ago, when the subcontinent of India started its collision with the rest of Eurasia. Under the conditions of continental collision, volcanoes are rare, but shallowfocus earthquakes and regional metamorphism are common.

Technically, science does not actually "prove" phenomena, but rather seeks to eliminate alternative explanations. Therefore, if something cannot be disproven via the scientific method, then it cannot be supported by science. However, just because something cannot be disproven does not mean that non-scientific causes of the phenomena are responsible, nor equally valid as scientific explanations. Although there currently may not be a scientific explanation, in the light of new observations and evidence, one may eventually emerge.

Why is the phrase "scientific proof" somewhat misleading

Why ism't a map as accurate as a globe

a globe is a three dimensional representation of the actual world. it is typically spherical. a map is a 2-d projection that is trying to capture the elements of a 3-d object. Some Distortions will occur

landslide trigger

a landslide, the sliding material represents a rigid mass that is suddenly displaced without any fluid flow. However, the presence of water may contribute to the action; many slides are triggered by rains that add weight to already overloaded slopes

Mineral

a naturally formed inorganic solid substance that has an unvarying chemical composition and characteristic crystal structure. There are about 4400 identified minerals on Earth, with new types being found each year. In order for a substance to be considered a mineral, it must have the following five characteristics: solid, naturally found in nature, inorganic, possessing a specific chemical composition, and containing atoms arranged in a regular patter to form solid crystals

Landform

a specific topographical feature

Chemical accumulated sedimentary

accumulated sedimentary rocks are usually formed by the precipitation of solids from ions in solution, but sometimes by more complicated chemical reactions. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is a common component of such rocks, and limestone is the most widespread result.

relief

an example of this is the biggest one is between Mount Everest and the Mariana trench

Pyroclastic flow

an explosion of rocks, gas and fire.

metamorphic rock

an originally be either igneous or sedimentary (though, technically, even sedimentary rocks are made of material that was once igneous). These rocks are transformed through time by heat and/or pressure. The metamorphic result is the alteration of the original rock in structure, texture, composition, and appearance. Metamorphism is a cooking process that partially melts the rock, causing its mineral components to be recrystallized and rearrange

Lithospheric plates

are comprised of continental or oceanic crust along with the uppermost mantle.

offset spring

are produced by strike-slip faulting where a stream's course runs perpendicular to a fault line and then has its flow redirected by a lateral shift in the fault blocks. This results in the redirecting of the stream's course. Likewise, the formation of a shutter ridge can displace streams flowing across a fault.

why there are so many map projections

challenge of cartography lies in trying to combine the geometric exactness of a globe with the convenience of a flat map; for centuries, mapmakers have been trying to overcome this impossible geometrical relationship by coming up with various projections. No one is perfect, with each having its own particular limitations. However, each also has some advantage over the others, making it more appropriate for some uses, less appropriate for others. Each has its place; the geographer must decide what projection to use according to his/her particular needs.

oceanic trenches

deep linear depressions in the ocean floor where subduction is taking place; a mid-ocean ridge is a lengthy system of deep-sea mountain ranges, generally located at some distance from any continent

bedding plane

distinct flat surfaces separated by sedimentary layers from another

a strike slip

fault is a fault produced by shearing, with adjacent blocks being displaced laterally with respect to one another (displacement is entirely horizontal)

small-scale maps

have larger denominATORS and are bigger. COLORADO SPRNGS

large-scale maps

have smaller denominators and represent a maps portray only a small portion of Earth's surface, but provide considerable detail. mY HOUSE

weathering disintegration

he physical disintegration of rock material without any change in its chemical composition. In essence, big rocks are mechanically weathered into little ones by various stresses that cause the rock to fracture into smaller fragments. Most mechanical weathering occurs at or very near the surface, but under certain conditions, it may occur at considerable depth.

Rock Cycle

igneous rocks can be broken down into sediments that might then form a sedimentary rock, which in turn might undergo metamorphism, only to be worn back again into sediments. This ongoing "recycling" of lithospheric material is sometimes referred to as the

differential weathering

involves a weathering "bias" because some rock types are relatively weak and easily weathered while other rock types are strong and more resistant to weathering. Weaker rock is more susceptible to mass wasting and erosion, and, therefore, more erosion-resistant rock will remain on a landscape. The local environment plays a role as well in that rock that may be more erosion-resistant in arid environments may be relatively weak in humid ones.

Weathering

involves the actual breaking down of rock into smaller components, occurs because of atmospheric and biotic agencies

A shield volcano

is a broad mountain with a gentle slope and is formed from the lengthy outpouring of very fluid basaltic lava. Shield volcanoes are associated with hot spot activity and seafloor spreading

a thrust fault

is a fault created by compression, forcing the upthrown block to override the downthrown block at a relatively low angle; it is complicated in structure

a reverse fault line

is a fault produced from compression, with the upthrown block rising steeply above the downthrown block, so that the fault scarp would be severely over-steepened if erosion did not act to smooth the slope (displacement is mostly vertical).

A pyroclastic flow

is a high-speed avalanche of searing hot gases, ash, and rock fragments. This event can be triggered by the collapse of a lava dome or the explosive eruption of a composite volcano.

A laccolith

is a lens-shaped plutonic body that has been forced between two sedimentary layers.

a isoline

is a line that connects areas of equal value Isobars-pressures precipitation, barometric pressure, rainfall, elevation, depth, magnetic declination, and temperature

A dike

is a long, thin igneous intrusion. Specifically, dikes are vertical or nearly vertical sheets of magma thrust upward into preexisting rock. Dikes are probably the most widespread of all intrusive forms.

Syncline

is a simple downfold.

Rock

is a solid material composed of aggregated mineral particles. can be sometimes comprised of a single mineral (for example, rock salt), but most are made up of several different minerals.

map projection

is a system in which the spherical surface of a planet is transformed for display on a flat surface (e.g., a map).

A batholith

is a type of pluton, a large igneous intrusion. Batholiths are by far the largest and most amorphous of igneous features, and often form the core of major mountain ranges, such as the Sierra Nevada in California.

Latitude

is an angular measurement of the number of degrees (from 0° to 180° east or west) east or west of the prime meridian where a given location on Earth lies.

Longitude

is an angular measurement of the number of degrees (from 0° to 90° north or south) north or south of the equator a given location on Earth lies.

Prime Meridian

is an imaginary north-south plane passing through Greenwich, England, and through Earth's axis of rotation. The angle between this plane and a plane passed through any other point and the axis of Earth is a measure of longitude

caldera

is produced when a volcano explodes, collapses, or does both. The result is an immense basin-shaped depression, generally circular,

earthquake

is simply vibrations that have been generated from the abrupt movement of Earth's crust.

A composite volcano

is steeply sided and relatively symmetrical, and is formed from the mixture of lava outpourings and pyroclastic material. Composite volcanoes are associated with subduction zones.

Moho

is the boundary between Earth's crust and mantle. It is thought to be a narrow zone with significant change in mineral composition.

Folding

is the compression of crustal rock by compression and/or uplift

mass wasting

is the downslope movement of broken rock

Map Scale

is the expression of a relationship between a distance measured on a given map and its actual distance on Earth' surface. Because maps are scale models of Earth's surface, a map scale is a necessary feature of a map if map users wish to properly establish the spatial relationship between the location of Earth's surface a map is depicting and the actual location itself.

erosion

is the more extensive and generally more distant removal of broken rock.)

normal fault line

is the result of tension producing a steeply inclined fault plain, with the block of land on one side being pushed up, or upthrown, in relation to the block on the other side, which is downthrown (displacement is mostly vertical).

faulting

is when rock is broken from crustal movement, such as folding

high-silica felsic magmas, long chains

n 9 © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.consisting of silicate structures can develop even before crystallization of minerals begins, greatly increasing the viscosity (thickness or stickiness) of the magma. A high-silica content also usually indicates cooler magma in which some of the heavier minerals have already crystallized and a considerable amount of gas has already separated. Some of this gas is trapped in pockets in the magma under great pressure. Unlike the more fluid lavas, gas bubbles can rise only slowly through viscous felsic magma. As the magma approaches the surface, the confining pressure is diminished and the pent-up gases are released explosively, generating an eruption in which large quantities of pyroclastic material are ejected from the volcano

shield volcano cladera

n large quantities of fluid lava are vented from rift zones along the sides of a volcano, the magma chamber below the summit can empty and collapse, forming a relatively shallow caldera.

can con formal and equivalent maps exist

no. Equivalence and conformality are two mutually exclusive map properties. As a rule, it can be stated that some projections are purely conformal, some are purely equivalent, none are both conformal and equivalent, and many are neither purely conformal nor purely equivalent but rather a compromise between the two.

Soil Creep

oil creep is mass wasting that is so unobtrusive it can be recognized only by indirect evidence, such as tilting of fence posts or utility poles and breaking or displacing of retaining walls. Unlike other forms of mass wasting, it produces few distinctive landforms, but instead results in the widespread but minute smoothing of the land surface. It is caused by a variety of factors, most notably alternation of freeze-thaw and wet-dry conditions, as well as by gravity and burrowing animals, among other factors. It is typically slow, as the name implies, but water saturation

Detrial sedimentary

or clastic, sedimentary rocks are composed of fragments of preexisting rocks in the form of cobbles, gravel, sand, silt, or clay. By far the most common of these rocks are shale (or mudstone) that is composed of very fine silt and clay particles, and sandstone that is made up of compacted, sand-size grains. slate

Angle of repose

presents the fine balance between the pull of gravity and the cohesion and friction of the rock material: It's the maximum state of equilibrium a material can achieve before it starts mass wasting. Anything that upsets this balance, such as accumulation of additional materials or addition of water, can cause mass wasting

Internal

processes are those that operate from within Earth, powered by internal heat that generates extremely strong forces operating outside of any surface or atmospheric influence. Internal forces could be considered to build, rise, and add to Earth's surface. Processes such as plate tectonics, vulcanism, and diastropism are all considered internal forces

mid-ocean ridge

re formed by divergent plate boundaries on the ocean floor.

denudation

refers to the overall effect of the disintegration, wearing away, and removal of rock material on Earth's surface.

External

rocesses are those that operate at the base of the atmosphere and draw their energy from sources mostly above the lithosphere, either in the atmosphere or in the oceans. External processes could be considered those that are responsible for wearing down Earth's surface and eventually decreasing topographic irregularities. External processes include weathering, mass wasting, and erosional and depositional elements such as fluvial, aeolian, glacial, solution, and waves and currents

External processes, mechanical and chemical, operating on rocks cause them to disintegrate. This disintegration produces fragmented mineral material, or what is known as sediment.

sediment is formed by

Why sedimentary rocs are so common

sedimentary rocks tend to be more abundant near Earth's surface because of the process of how they are formed. Specifically, the materials that make up many sedimentary rocks are transported and deposited by wind, water, ice, gravity, or a combination of these agents. The transported and deposited materials are then compacted and harden. In essence, these rocks are formed on Earth's surface, and although they may be buried, they are never terribly far from the surface, and therefore can be easily (in a geologic sense) exposed again.

Pacific ring of fier

the model of plate tectonics provided an explanation for this pattern. Plate boundaries are found all of the way around the Pacific basin—primarily subduction zones, along with segments of transform and divergent boundaries. It is along these plate boundaries that the many volcanoes and earthquakes take place in what is now called the Pacific Ring of Fire.

topography

the surface composition of earth

Outer core

the third layer that is a liquidish and is responsible for the Magnetic poles(probably)it consists of iron an nickel

continental lithosphere

this is the less dense material but it is thicker it consists of SiAl d possesses a density of 2.7 grams per cubic centimeter

Geomorphology

this is the study of the development of land-form

Transform plate boundary

transform (sliding laterally past one another).

mantle

under crust surrounds outer core about to depth of 2900 kilometers (1800 miles). It possesses the largest volume of all four shells. plastic and consists of high mantle, asthenosphere, and the lower mantle

Where is Colorado in longitude definition?

west

foliation

when a metamorphic rock has a certain alignment, and is uprooted: garden of the gods

chemical disintergation

which is the decomposition of rock by the chemical alteration of its minerals. Almost all minerals are subject to chemical alteration when exposed to atmospheric and biotic agents. Some minerals, such as quartz, are extremely resistant to chemical change, but many others are very susceptible. There are very few rocks that cannot be significantly affected by chemical weathering because the alteration of even a single significant mineral constituent can lead to the eventual