GEOLOGY 101 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS 2024.

Subduction A geological process in which one edge of a crustal plate is forced downward into the mantle below another plate and melted Asthenosphere The lower part of the mantle Lithosphere The upper part of the mantle and the crust Atmosphere The air and area that is above the crust and below space Core The extremely hot, solid, and dense center of the earth, which is believed to be composed of iron and nickel Mantle Between the core and the crust, liquid that consists of compounds of oxygen iron silicon, magnesium etc, Convergent Boundary When plates move toward each other Divergent Boundary When plates move away from each other Transform Boundary When plates move past each other in opposite directions Sediment A type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together Lithification Cementation or otherwise consolidation of sediment into sedimentary rock Geology Study of Earth's materials Igneous Rock A type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock on or below the surface Magma Molten rock beneath the earth's surface Metamorphic Rock Igneous or sedimentary rock that has been changed into a new kind of rock as a result of great pressure and temperature. Hypothesis A prediction that isn't tested Scientific Theory A well tested concept that explains a wide range of observations Tectonic Forces Forces from within the earth, building up of earth's surface, based on plate tectonics resulting in mountains, plateaus, & valleys Isostatic Adjustment Concept of vertical movement of sections of Earth's crust to achieve balance or equilibrium. Plate Tectonics (Theory) The theory that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle. Proposed by Alfred Wegener Anion A negatively charged ion Cation A positively charged ion Covalent Bonding The sharing of electrons Crystal Form The external appearance of a mineral as determined by its internal arrangement of atoms Ferromagnesian Mineral Iron/magnesium-bearing mineral, such as augite, hornblende, olivine, or biotite. Ion A particle that is electrically charged (positive or negative) Ionic Bonding The transfer of electrons Isotope Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons Metallic Bonding Electron flow freely throughout metals Mineral A solid inorganic substance of natural occurrence. Silica Any one of numerous minerals that have the oxygen and silicon tetrahedron as their basic structure. Silicates minerals that contain silicon and oxygen and usually one or more other elements Silicon-oxygen tetrahedron a structure composed of four oxygen atoms surrounding a silicon atom that constitutes the basic building block of silicate minerals Specific Gravity Density of an object relative to water. No units. Basalt A dark, dense, igneous rock with a fine texture, found in oceanic crust Batholith A mass of rock formed when a large body of magma cools inside the crust Bowen's reaction series The order of minerals crystallizing from magma Country rock Any rock that was older than and intruded by an igneous body. Assimilation When magma rises, melts country rock, and changes the composition. Decompression Melting Melting due to a drop in confining pressure that occurs as rock rises Differentiation The process by which different ingredients separate from an originally homogeneous mixture Extrusive Rock Igneous rock that forms from lava on Earth's surface Intrusive Rock Igneous rock that forms when magma hardens beneath Earth's surface. Felsic Rock Light colored rocks containing high amounts of silica 65% or greater Intermediate Rock rocks developing from a source that is chemically part way between felsic and mafic (50%) Mafic Rock dark-colored rocks that have low silica content and are rich in iron and magnesium. Radiometric Dating the process of measuring the absolute age of geologic material by measuring the concentrations of radioactive isotopes and their decay products Half life Time it takes for half of an isotope to decay Law of Superpostion Proposed by Nicolaus Steno in 1669, states that younger layes of rock or soil were deposited on the top of older ones by wind or water Carbon Dating Calculates the proportion of carbon-14 in dead biological material to see how long it has been dead Valence The electrons in the outermost shell (main energy level) of an atom; these are the electrons involved in forming bonds. Common Elements Oxygen, Silicon, Aluminum, Iron, Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, and Magnesium