Geology ch 1-4

Earth is ___ years old.

4.6 billion

The steepest angle that a slope can maintain without collapsing is called the _______________ ____ ________________.

Angle of Repose

_______ is the study of the universe

Astronomy

The Earth's four spheres are ________, _______, ________ and ________.

Atmosphere, Biosphere, Geosphere, Hydrosphere

_______ igneous rocks are composed of dark silicate minerals and plagioclase feldspar.

Basaltic (Mafic)

The silicate mineral _________________________ chemically weathers into clay minerals.

Feldspar

In metamorphic rocks with _______________________ texture the mineral grains are aligned perpendicular to the compressional force.

Foliated

Slate, Schist, and Gniess are examples __________ Metamorphic rocks.

Foliated

____________ also known as freeze and thaw occurs as water that has entered cracks in the rock freezes into ice, it expands and enlarges the cracks.

Frost Wedging

_____ is the study of Earth.

Geology

The _______ is the solid Earth.

Geosphere

Metamorphic _________________ is the degree to which the parent rock changes during metamorphism.

Grade

________ igneous rocks are composed almost entirely of light-colored silicates - quartz and feldspar.

Granitic (Felsic)

________ is the controlling force of Mass wasting.

Gravity

_______ is the resistance of a mineral to scratching or abrasion.

Hardness

__________ is the most important metamorphic agent.

Heat

Soil is divided into horizontal layers called _________.

Horizons

_________ rocks are classified based on their texture and mineral composition.

Igneous

Igneous rocks formed inside Earth are called _________________or plutonic rocks

Intrusive

Debris flows composed mostly of volcanic materials are called __________.

Lahars

Magma at the earths surface is called ______.

Lava

___________ is the parent rock of marble.

Limestone

_______ the most abundant chemical sedimentary rock.

Limestone ( made of calcite)

The outer core is _____ and the inner core is _____.

Liquid, Solid

_______ is the Appearance of how light reflects from the surface of a mineral.

Luster

_______ is molten material generated by the partial melting of rocks in Earth's mantle and lower crust.

Magma

_________________ and ____________________ are examples of nonfoliated Metamorphic rocks.

Marble, Quartzite

The downslope movement of rock, regolith, and soil under the direct influence of gravity is called __________.

Mass Wasting

_______ weathering involves physical forces breaking rocks into smaller pieces.

Mechanical

The terms _____ and _____ are used to describe the luster of a mineral.

Metallic, Non Metallic

_________________ is the transition of one rock type into another caused by increased temperatures and/or pressures unlike those in which it formed.

Metamorphism

_____ is the study of the atmosphere.

Meterology

A ________ is an inorganic, naturally occurring, solid substance with an orderly crystalline structure and definite chemical composition.

Mineral

Rocks can be classified according to their ____________ compositions and how they form during the rock cycle.

Mineral

________ resources are occurrences of useful minerals that will eventually be extracted.

Mineral

Rocks are composed of ______.

Minerals

______ chemical compounds made up of two or more elements bonded together.

Minerals

All minerals are compared to a standard scale called the _______

Mohs Hardness Scale

Goal of science is discover patterns in __________________ and to use the knowledge to make predictions.

Nature

Fossil Fuels and metals are an examples of _______ resources because the Earth contains a fixed amount of these substances and when the present supplies are used up there will be no more.

Non Renwable

Metamorphic rocks with __________________________ texture contain equidimensional crystals and look like a coarse-grained igneous rock.

Non-Foliated

The ____ covers nearly 71 percent of Earth's surface and contains about 97 percent of Earth's water.

Ocean

_____ is the study of the oceans.

Oceanography

If no light can be transmitted thru a mineral the clarity is ____.

Opaque

_______ are concentrations of metallic minerals that can be mined at a profit.

Ore Deposits

The most abundant atoms in the Earth's crust are __________________ and ________________.

Oxygen, Silicon

_______________ is permanently frozen ground that occurs in tundra and ice-cap climates regions.

Permafrost

_____ is a model of how the Earth works.

Plate Tectonic

The Earth's rigid outermost solid layer is fragmented into _____ of various sizes that move over a warmer, softer, underlying layer.

Plates

The rapid movement of a mass of rock or unconsolidated material along a curved surface is called ______________________.

Slump

_______ is a mixture of sand, silt and clay that is best suited for plant life.

Soil

________ is made up of mineral and organic matter, water and air.

Soil

The vertical section through all the soil horizons is called a _________________________.

Soil Profile

The Nebular Hypothesis states that solar system evolved from an enormous rotating cloud called the ______ composed of hydrogen and helium.

Solar Nebula

Lithification is the process by which loose sediments are transformed into

Solid Rock

Oversteepened slopes are ____________________ and can trigger mass wasting.

Steep

A mineral's ________ is usually the same for all varieties of that mineral.

Streak

The color of a mineral in its powdered form is called its _____.

Streak

The _____ drives external processes of the earth system such as weather, ocean circulation and erosional processes.

Sun

______________ involves the physical breakdown and chemical alteration of rock at or near the surface of the Earth.

Weathering

Warm, moist climates accelerate _________________ weathering while cold, dry climates inhibit it

chemical

Types of _________ processes are defined by the material involved, the movement of the material and the rate of the movement.

mass wasting

When ________ thaws it produces an unstable ground .

permafrost

The layers called ________________ or __________________ are the most characteristic feature of sedimentary rocks.

Beds, Strata

______will effervesce or fizz when tested with dilute hydrochloric acid. (HCI)

Calcite

__________ sedimentary rocks are derived from material that was once in solution and precipitates to form sediment.

Chemical

_________ weathering and _______________ weathering work simultaneously and reinforce each other.

Chemical, Mechanical

______ is the tendency of a mineral to break along planes of weak bonding to produce flat, shiny surfaces.

Cleavage

Science assumes the natural world is ___________________ and ____________________.

Consistent, Predicatable

_____________ metamorphism occurs near a body of magma and results from the rise in temperature as the magma invades the host rock

Contact (Thermal)

Earth is divided into three major layers by composition the _____, _____ and _____.

Core, Mantle, Crust

_______ size is determined by the rate of cooling. Extrusive igneous rocks have fine grained or glassy textures. Intrusive igneous rocks have coarse grained textures.

Crystal

__________ is the process where loosely packed, water-saturated surface sediments behave like a fluid and flow during the ground shaking of an earthquake.

Debris Flow

_______ sedimentary rocks form from solid particles of other rocks that have been weathered and transported.

Detrital

Minerals have _____ physical properties.

Distinctive

__________ is the slow movement of soil and regolith downhill that can cause trees and fences tilt.

Earth Flow

_______ is the name for all the sciences that collectively seek to understand Earth and its place in our solar system.

Earth Science

______ are atoms of an element that have a different number of neutrons in the nucleus.

Elements

Natural rates of _______________________ depend on soil characteristics, Climate, Slope and Type of vegetation.

Eriosion

Igneous rocks formed on or near the surface are called _________________ or volcanic rocks.

Extrusive

____________ is the most important agent in Chemical Weathering.

Water

__________ is the parent rock of quartzite.

Quartz Sandstone

The decay of _____ elements drives internal processes including volcanoes, earthquakes and mountain building.

Radioactive

The rate _____ of an isotope can be used to determine the ages of fossils, rocks and minerals.

Radioactive Decay

_________________ metamorphism occurs in areas where plates collide and produces the greatest volume of metamorphic rock

Regional

_____ resources can be replenished over relatively short periods of time.

Renewable

Sedimentary rocks are an important economic ____________ because they contain coal, petroleum, natural gas, ground water and metals.

Resource

The ______________ produces three general families of rock: Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic.

Rock Cycle

The 8 elements that compose most _____ minerals are oxygen (O), silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg).

Rock- Forming

__________ are generally very fast and destructive.

Rockslides

A process called _______________________ __________________________ concentrates metals like Aluminum, Silver and Copper into economical deposits.

Secondary Enrichment

Sedimentary rocks form from ___________________. (particles produced by weathering of other rocks)

Sediment

Carbonates are a major rock forming group found primarily in ___________________________ rocks.

Sedimentary

________ is the most abundant detrital sedimentary rock.

Shale

______ are the most common mineral group and contain the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron molecules.

Silicates

The rate of ______________________ is influenced by rock type and climate.

Weathering

________ is the surface configuration of an area.

Topography

If light and an image can be transmitted thru a mineral the clarity is ______.

Translucent

The ability to of a mineral transmit light is called ______.

Transparent

The Atmosphere provides the air we breathe and protection against harmful _____ from the Sun.

Ultraviolet Radiation