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38 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Mineral
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A natural inorganic solid with a crystal structure and definite chemical composition.
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Crystal
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A solid made up of particles that line up in a pattern that repeats over and over again.
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Rock Cycle
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A series of processes on and beneath Earth's surface that slowly change rocks from one kind to another.
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Igneous Rock
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A type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or below the surface.
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Sedimentary Rock
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A type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together.
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Sediment
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Small, solid pieces of material that come from rocks or living things.
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Metamorphic Rock
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Rock that forms when a rock is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions.
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Nonrenewable resource
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A resource that is not replaced in a useful time frame.
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Ore
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A rock that contains a metal or other useful mineral that can be mined and sold at a profit.
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Smelting
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The process by which ore is melted to separate the useful metal from other elements.
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Weathering
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The process that breaks down rock and other substances at Earth's surface.
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Erosion
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The transportation of sediment by wind, water, ice, or gravity.
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Uniformitarianism
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The principle that states that the same processes that operate today operated in the past.
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Mechanical Weathering
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Weathering in which rock is physically broken into smaller pieces. Causes include: release of pressure, freezing and thawing, animal actions, plant growth, and abrasion.
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Abrasion
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The grinding away of rock by rock particles carried by water, ice, wind, or gravity.
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Ice Wedging
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Process that splits rock when water seeps into cracks, then freezes and expands.
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Chemical Weathering
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The process that breaks down rock through chemical changes.
(action of water, oxygen,carbon dioxide, living organisms, and acid rain) |
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Oxidation
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When iron combines with oxygen in the presence of water. The product of oxidation is rust.
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Permeable
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A material is full of tiny, connected air spaces that allow water to seep through it.
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Soil
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The loose, weathered material on Earth's surface in which plants can grow.
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Bedrock
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The solid layer of rock beneath the soil.
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Humus
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The decayed organic material in soil.
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Fertility
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A measure of how well the soil supports plant growth.
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Loam
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Soil that is made up of equal parts of clay, sand, and silt.
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Soil Horizon
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Is a layer of soil that differs in color and texture from the layers above or below it.
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Topsoil
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Mixtures of humus, clay, and other minerals that forms the crumbly, topmost layer of soil.
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Subsoil
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The layer of soil beneath the topsoil.
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Acidic
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A substance is acidic if it reacts strongly with some metals and changes blue litmus paper red.
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Basic
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A substance is basic if it feels slippery and changes red litmus paper blue.
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Litter
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The loose layer of dead plant leaves and stems on the surface of soil.
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Decomposer
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An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms.
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Sod
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A thick mass of grass roots and soil.
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Natural Resource
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Anything in the environment that humans use
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Dust Bowl
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The area of the Great Plains where wind erosion caused soil loss during the 1930's.
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Soil conservation
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The arrangement of soil to prevent its destruction.
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Contour Plowing
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Plowing fields along the curves of a slope to prevent soil loss.
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Conservation Plowing
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Soil conservation method in which the dead stalks from the previous year's crop are left in the ground to hold soil in place.
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Crop Rotation
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The planting of different crops in a field each year to maintain the soil's fertility.
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