Earth and Life Science

Carbonation(chemical weathering)

is the reaction between rocks and carbonic acid formed by the dissolution of carbon dioxide in water. Although categorized as a weak acid, carbonic acid may seep into the cracks of rocks and may react with the minerals within the rocks.

Water(mechanical weathering)

it seeps into the small cracks of rocks expands when it freezes, making the cracks larger.

Magmatism(Geologic Processes)

magma is produced by partial melting of subsurface rocks. originates within the magma. (change the face of the earth)

radioactive decay

maintains the production of heat inside the earth

reverse fault

occurs when compressional stress is observed among opposite rock slabs, resulting in one slab that is displaced upward and the other slab is moved downward.

lateral slipping plate movement

plates may also come in contact and produce tremendous pressure that is oriented sideways from each other in opposite directions. the pressure building up between the contact areas of these laterally oriented plates slip apart.

convergent plate movement

plates may move toward each other and collide. When to continental plates converge, mountain ranges may form as the pressure from each colliding.

shearing stress

pressure applied to opposite directions from a parallel central plane that results in significant change in the initial shape of rock layer.

Mechanical Weathering

process of breaking down of rocks without changing their chemical composition.

graben fault

produced when tensinal stress results in the down-dropping of a central slab of a rock layer.

Tensional stress

provides a stretching pressure away from a central plane and results in an imcrease in total volume.

Hydration(chemical weathering)

reaction that occurs when the minerals in a rock dissolve when they come in contact with water.

Exogenic Process(es)

refers to activities or phenomena that occur on earth's surface. (Rocks are naturally exposed to different forces that affect their physical characteristics.Wind, water, ground, organisms, and other factors influence that processes that shape surface of the earth)

Soil Fertility

refers to the amount of nutrients that is essential for plants to grow. (clay, loam, sand, silt)

Erosion

the amount of soil increases as weathering continues. the comonents of soil pile up and are physically removed from their place through the process of it. (eros) (eat away)

Subduction zone

the area of constant contact where the slab going downward and overriding slab is produced.

Differential weathering

the difference in degree of rock disintegration and discoloration, contributes to landscape shaping.

geosynclinal theory

the features of the earth's crust were fixed, and that ocean basin and mountain range development resulted from the vertical movement of the crust.

Wind(mechanical weathering)

the force of blowing wind may scrape the surface of a rock or may transport its particles.

Diastrophism(geological processes)

the movements of crustal plates, deform and alter the surface of the earth. Forms structures such as mountains, valley, and plateaus on the crust. (formation of earth).(change the face of the earth)

Syncline fold

the opposite of anticline fold,wherein downwarping of rock layers is observed.

strains

the result deformations from the stress types.

horst fault

uplifting of a rock layer that is caused by the interactions of two reverse fault.

anticline fold

upwarping of rock layers that results in an arch-like structure with a convex-up configuration.

Folds

wavelike plastic deformations in rock layers that are the result of horizontal compressional stresses(categorize by geologists). can be observed in combinations throughout the earth's landscape.

divergent plate movement

when to oceanic plates move away from each other, new crust is formed as magma slowly rises up from the exposed zone of divergence. main cause of "seafloor spreading".

subduction

when two oceanic plates converge, one of the plates may slip under the other and produce cracks or breaks where magma from the mantle may rise. This event may result in a volcanic activity. (when the oceanic and continental plates converge, the thinner and denser oceanic plate is force to slide under the much thicker continental plate. )

radioactive elements

within the planets, such as uranium, decay and produce heat in the process

weathering

Breaking or crumbling of rocks by physical, chemical, or biological means is essential for rock cycle, soil production, and movement of materials on the earth's surface. reduces the size of rocks and prepares materials for transport.

Soil Formation(humus)

The mixture of different products of weathering and nondecaying organic matter.(Makes up the soil.)

Earth's Internal Heat

The process of formimg the earth generated a large amount of heat when the small particles that have attracted one another started hitting each other with great force. core-5000°C to 7000°C(4 billion)

chemical weathering

breakdown of rocks by chemical mechanisms. This process usually involves water and how it reacts with other substances in the rocks.

Faults

breaks in rock layers in which a significant movement going toward opposite directions occurs. (result of the combinations of stress types) areas where two big blocks of rock slip past one another.

joints

brittle deformations where fractures are present in the rock layer but the movement of rock materials is not evident.

Oxidation(chemical weathering)

can cause rocks to become fragile.the oxygen present in the atmosphere may react with metals in rocks,oxidizing these metals and changing their physical and chemical properties.

Wind(agent of erosion)

capable of eroding and depositing materials. It is tends to transport materials to different place due to the varying directions where it blows.

Mass Movement or mass wasting

combined with the motile nature of soil, result in the displacement of materials down from a higher location.

Glossopteris fossils (plant)

found by Eduard Suess, austrian geologist, in regions of asia, south america, south africa, australia, and antartica.

Mesosaurus fossils(animal,reptile)

found by south african geologist, Alexander du Toit, in south america and south africa.

strike-slip or transform fault

horizontal movement of two rock layers that are parallel to each other, resulting from shearing stress.

compressional stress

imposes a squeezing pressure toward a central plane and results in a decrease in total volume.

Landslides

are the sudden and rapid movement of soil and rocks.

Gravity(Mechanical Weathering)

Falling rocks usually come in contact with other rocks. If the force of the falling rocks is great enough, it may cause these rocks to break.

Soil

a part of geosphere, interfaces the atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere

Water(Agent of Erosion)

accumulated rainfall and streams carry suspended materials, dissolve substances and roll large rock fragements at the same time. (waves)

Endogenic Processes

activities or forces in the interior of the earth.also imfluence how the planet is shaped.

Stress

applied force that causes these deformations

Brittle

deformations may not only be described as plastic as they may also be( this) when ruptures or fractures within a rock layer are produced. (ductile)

normal or dip-slip fault

develops from the vertical tensional stress acting on opposite rock slabs, resulting in one slab that is displaced upward and the other slab that is moved downward.

plate tectonics theory

earth's crust is subdivded into massive plates that seem to drift upon the earth's softer mantle. These large plates are categorically found in the lithosphere and may move vertically and horizontally, at an estimated rate of 1 to 10 cm per year.

Gravity(agent of erosion)

exerts a pulling action on everything. it makes rocks fall and water flow.

Continental Drift Theory

shapes of the continents we have. today may be fitted together similar to a puzzle, to. produce one big supercontinent that wegener called 'PANGAEA'.first attempts to expain the presence of similar species of animal and plant fossils in different continent. First propose in 1912 by Alfred Lothar Wegener, a german geophysicist and was presented with much more details in his book 'the origin of continents and oceans' in 1915.

Monocline fold

simplest class which involves a slight double flexure a parallel rock layers.