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81 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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The surface of the earth is a thin layer of________,__________, and ___________. |
Soil,rock fragments, and vegetation |
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The outermost part of the earth is called___________. |
Crust |
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The most predominate element in the crust of the earth is__________. |
Oxygen (46.6%) |
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What is the second most abundant element in the crust? |
Silicon (27.7%) |
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What are the trace elements in the crust? |
carbon, hydrogen,nitrogen,copper,lead,silver, and other. |
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What is the most common group of Rocks? |
Silicates |
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What is Silicates? |
Silicates refers to the group of materials that have the chemical combination of silicon and oxygen |
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What are minerals distinguished by? |
- their physical properties -chemical properties |
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What are the minerals properties responsible for? |
mechanical and chemical characteristics of rocks |
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What are the physical characteristics of Minerals? |
A natural occurring, crystalline, homogeneous solid with definite, but not fixed chemical composition and an ordered atomic arrangement. |
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What is mineralogy? |
The study of the physics and chemistry of natural,solid, crystalline materials. |
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What is the difference between rocks and minerals? |
- minerals are homogeneous, naturally occurring, inorganic solids - each mineral has a definite chemical composition and a characteristic crystalline structure -minerals could be a single element, or a compound made up of a number of elements -appox. 2500 different minerals -Rocks are made up of one or more minerals |
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Characterizing Minerals : Color |
-rarely diagnostic when used alone - some exceptional minerals are very distinctively colored |
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What color is native sulfur? |
Yellow |
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What color is Amethyst quartz? |
Purple |
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What color is Hematite? |
Red |
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What color is Azurite? |
Blue Green |
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Mineral Properties : Luster |
The way in which light is reflected from minerals surfaces and is more frequently diagnostic than color. |
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What does non-metallic luster include? |
glassy,dull, and earthy |
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Mineral properties: Transparency |
The ability to see through a mineral is a measure of transparency. |
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What are reflecting surfaces called? |
Translucent |
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Mineral Properties: Crystal System |
Crystal symmetry is a very important diagnostic aid |
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How many crystal classes exist? |
7 |
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Define Crystal habits? |
The name given to the form or shape of crystals |
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Name some forms that crystals can display? |
cubic, dodecahedral,octahedral,rhobohedral,prismatic,columnar,pinacoidal, and pyramindal |
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When talking about minerals what does cleavage mean? |
Cleavage refers to the characteristic manner in which split along planes determined by their crystal structure. |
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When talking about a mineral what is a fracture? |
Mineral breakage which is unrelated to crystal structure. ex. Quartz has no cleavage but can often show specific fracture patterns. |
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How is hardness in a mineral measured? |
hardness is measured on a non-linear relative scale called Moh's Scale of Hardness |
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What is a streak? |
A streak is a name given to the color of a mineral when powdered by abrasion against a stronger material. |
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What are some minerals that have specific characteristics that are used to diagnosis a few species? |
- Calcite: refractive index, effervescence with dilute acids - Fluorite : fluorescence - Phosphor : phosphorescence - Quartz : Piezoelectricity - Halite : Resistivity, Taste - Magnetite : Magnetic properties |
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Quartz |
6 sided crystalline structure; no cleavage; range in color from clear to gray or pink; used for jewelry and optical instruments |
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Feldspar |
Most abundant single constituent of rock: Two major classes : orthoclase, plagioclase; range of color; harder than glass, softer than quartz |
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Mica |
Two main varieties: white mica and black mica; perfect single plane cleavage; soft; flakes easily |
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Ferromagnesian Minerals |
A wide variety of properties; iron and magnisum silicate compounds; black mica is also known as a ferromagnesian mineral |
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Clay Minerals |
Constituents in clay; small crystals; absorb water readily |
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Calcite |
Hexagonal crystal, similar to quartz;perfect cleavage in three directions; chief constituent in limestone |
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What are the 3 major rock group? |
- Igneous - Sedimentary - Metamophic |
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How are igneous rocks made? |
Created by melting and crystallizaion of molten material called magma |
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If the magma reaches the surface, the rocks are said to be _____________. |
Extrusive |
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Volcanic lava is an example of _____________. |
Extrusive igneous rocks |
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What is formed when magma cools within the Earth? |
Large bodies of crystalline rock known as plutons or batholiths |
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What are plutons or batholins an example of? |
Intrusive igneous rocks |
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How is Obsidian formed? |
When molten lava cools quickly and under the right conditions |
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What is an important characteristics of igneous rocks? |
Grain Size |
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What is an example of Igneous Rocks? |
Basalt |
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How are sedimentary rocks formed? |
These rocks are formed in layers by deposits of wind, water, or ice. They are the product of the weathering process |
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As sedimentary layers are buried they are ___________ and ___________. |
- cemented - lithified |
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Why does the cementing process occur? |
The weight of the overlaying deposits |
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What are the two major groups of sedimentary rock groups? |
- Fragmental rocks - Chemical and Biochemical Precipitates |
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What are fragmental rocks? |
These are rocks formed from rock fragments, quartz, or clay minerals. |
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What are chemical and biochemical precipiates? |
These rocks are formed from microcrystalline, quartz, or calcite |
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What are the three major classes of Fragmental rock based on grain size? |
- Conglomerate - Sandstone - Shale |
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What is Conglomerate? |
Rocks are like nature's concrete, composed of rock fragments which have been cemented together |
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What is Sandstone? |
Rocks that are similar to conglomerate rocks, but the fragment size of the constituent materials is smaller |
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What is Shale? |
Rocks are formed from fine-grained mud or silts and is generally soft |
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What is Chert rocks? |
Rocks composed of very small quartz crystals ( micro-crystalline) and is a very hard rock ex. Flint and Jasper |
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What is Limestone? |
Rock composed chiefly of fine-grained calcite, either as a precipitate or by the decomposition of marine shells ex. Chalk |
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What is an example of Sedimentary Rocks? |
Sandstone or Limestone |
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What are metamorphic Rock? |
Rocks formed by the interaction of pressure, temperature, and fluids within the earth |
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What has to occur to have recrystallize. |
sediments deeply buried become deformed and new minerals form at elevate temperature and pressures to form metamorphic rocks |
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Slate Rocks |
produced in a low temperature process in which the sedimentary rock Shale undergoes metamorphosis |
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Schist rocks |
formed from shale, but the temperature range for the formation of schist is higher |
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GNEISS rock |
Formed under a very high temperature process, with nearly any rock as the starting point |
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Limestone and Quartz cannot be changed by high temperature and pressure, but ___________ can change the crystal structure. |
Metamorphic |
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Earthquakes |
general term given to the vibrations of geologic structures at and near the surface of the Earth |
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What is the common cause of earthquakes? |
sudden shift of rocks that are located within the first 70km beneath the surface |
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Where do most earthquakes occur at? |
Fault lines |
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What is the Richter Scale? |
A numerical measure of earthquake size determined from the logarithm of the maximum displacement of the earthquake signal as seen on the seismograph |
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How are values on the Richter scale reflected? |
the amount of energy released |
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What is the scale range for the Richter scale? |
0 to 9.5 |
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When is a logarithmic scale used? |
whenever large range of values is to be represented |
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Which physical situation are measured on logarithmic scales? |
pH scale, sound ( decibel scale), and radioactive decay time |
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What exactly are faults? |
"cracks" in the s in the crust are found in rock formation of all kinds |
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When talking about an earthquake what does focus mean? |
the point where an earthquake starts - where the movement actually occurs; may be many kilometers deep within the earth |
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What is an Epicenter? |
the point at the surface directly above the focus |
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Surface Waves are __________ |
waves that travel on the surface |
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Body waves are ________- |
waves that travel through the interior of the Earth |
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Body waves include ___________ and ___________ |
S- waves P- waves |
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Surface waves include _________ and _______ |
love waves rayleigh waves |
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Compressional waves |
also known as primary or P waves, travel fastest at speed between 1.5-8 kilometer per second |
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Shear Waves |
also known as secondary or S waves, travels more slowly usually at 60% to 70% of the speed of P waves |
