Nouns
Biological Weathering: The breaking up of a rock or mineral into smaller fragments through living things, such as the growth of roots, or feeding animals
Burial: the process of getting buried
Cementation: the process in which dissolved minerals glue sediments together to form solid sedimentary rock
Chemical Weathering: The chemical break up of a rock or mineral into smaller fragments that changes its chemical make-up; chemical weathering alters the internal structure of minerals by the removing and/or adding elements.
Cleavage: the tendency of a mineral to break along flat surfaces
Color: the color of a mineral; often an unreliable property for mineral identification
Compaction: the process in which sediments are pressed together in layers
Composition: the make-up of something
Crystalline Structure: a unique, orderly, repeating arrangement of atoms
Crystallization: the formation of crystals (minerals) from a liquid or gas
Density: a measure of how tightly packed the tiny particles (called atoms and molecules) that make up any substance/material are; can be calculated by dividing the mass by the volume of the substance/material.
Deformation: the process of changing or distorting rocks through applied pressure
Deposition: the process by which wind, water, and gravity leave eroded sediments in new locations
Dichotomous Key: a key that is continuously divided into two parts, and used to identify something through the process of elimination
Erosion: the transport/movement of sediment by wind, water, ice, and gravity.
Extrusive Igneous Rock: igneous rock formed through the cooling of lava on the surface of the Earth
Fossil: the mineralized (preserved) remains or traces of an organism
Fracture: the tendency of a mineral to break along jagged, uneven surfaces
Hardness: a measure of how hard a mineral is; a measure of a mineral’s resistance to scratching
Hardness Test: a test that measures a mineral’s resistance to scratching
Igneous Rock: rock formed through the cooling of magma or lava
Intrusive Igneous Rock: igneous rock formed through the cooling of magma inside the Earth
Lava: molten rock above the surface of the Earth
Lithification: the process of changing sediment into solid sedimentary rock; includes compaction (of grains), cementation (filling of spaces between grains), and crystallization (to solidify sediment).
Luster: the way a mineral’s surface reflects light
Magma: molten rock beneath the surface of the Earth found in the mantle.
Mechanical Weathering: the mechanical or physical break up of a rock or mineral into smaller fragments
Melting: the process of melting something; the process by which heat changes something from solid to liquid
Metamorphic Rock: rock formed from extreme heat and pressure
Mineral: a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a crystalline structure
Mohs Hardness Scale: a scale that ranks the hardness of a mineral (1- softest; 10- hardest)
Model: a physical, visual, or mathematical representation used to explain some aspect of the universe.
Pressure: the force pushing on an area or surface
Properties: the characteristics unique to something
Rock: a solid mixture of two or more different types of minerals
Rock Cycle: the continuous process by which one rock type changes into another
Sediment: small bits and pieces of rock (sand, gravel, clay, pebbles, soil) formed from the weathering of existing rocks
Sedimentary Rock: rock formed from the compaction and cementation of sediments.
Sedimentation: the downward settling of sediments due to gravity
Soil: loose organic materials that sit above bedrock mixed with sediments that support plant growth
Solidification: the process of being solid/hard
Streak: the color of a mineral in powdered form
Transportation: the transporting or movement of sediments
Weathering: the process by which water, wind, and ice break down rocks and other exposed surfaces into smaller pieces (sediments)
Burial: the process of getting buried
Cementation: the process in which dissolved minerals glue sediments together to form solid sedimentary rock
Chemical Weathering: The chemical break up of a rock or mineral into smaller fragments that changes its chemical make-up; chemical weathering alters the internal structure of minerals by the removing and/or adding elements.
Cleavage: the tendency of a mineral to break along flat surfaces
Color: the color of a mineral; often an unreliable property for mineral identification
Compaction: the process in which sediments are pressed together in layers
Composition: the make-up of something
Crystalline Structure: a unique, orderly, repeating arrangement of atoms
Crystallization: the formation of crystals (minerals) from a liquid or gas
Density: a measure of how tightly packed the tiny particles (called atoms and molecules) that make up any substance/material are; can be calculated by dividing the mass by the volume of the substance/material.
Deformation: the process of changing or distorting rocks through applied pressure
Deposition: the process by which wind, water, and gravity leave eroded sediments in new locations
Dichotomous Key: a key that is continuously divided into two parts, and used to identify something through the process of elimination
Erosion: the transport/movement of sediment by wind, water, ice, and gravity.
Extrusive Igneous Rock: igneous rock formed through the cooling of lava on the surface of the Earth
Fossil: the mineralized (preserved) remains or traces of an organism
Fracture: the tendency of a mineral to break along jagged, uneven surfaces
Hardness: a measure of how hard a mineral is; a measure of a mineral’s resistance to scratching
Hardness Test: a test that measures a mineral’s resistance to scratching
Igneous Rock: rock formed through the cooling of magma or lava
Intrusive Igneous Rock: igneous rock formed through the cooling of magma inside the Earth
Lava: molten rock above the surface of the Earth
Lithification: the process of changing sediment into solid sedimentary rock; includes compaction (of grains), cementation (filling of spaces between grains), and crystallization (to solidify sediment).
Luster: the way a mineral’s surface reflects light
Magma: molten rock beneath the surface of the Earth found in the mantle.
Mechanical Weathering: the mechanical or physical break up of a rock or mineral into smaller fragments
Melting: the process of melting something; the process by which heat changes something from solid to liquid
Metamorphic Rock: rock formed from extreme heat and pressure
Mineral: a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a crystalline structure
Mohs Hardness Scale: a scale that ranks the hardness of a mineral (1- softest; 10- hardest)
Model: a physical, visual, or mathematical representation used to explain some aspect of the universe.
Pressure: the force pushing on an area or surface
Properties: the characteristics unique to something
Rock: a solid mixture of two or more different types of minerals
Rock Cycle: the continuous process by which one rock type changes into another
Sediment: small bits and pieces of rock (sand, gravel, clay, pebbles, soil) formed from the weathering of existing rocks
Sedimentary Rock: rock formed from the compaction and cementation of sediments.
Sedimentation: the downward settling of sediments due to gravity
Soil: loose organic materials that sit above bedrock mixed with sediments that support plant growth
Solidification: the process of being solid/hard
Streak: the color of a mineral in powdered form
Transportation: the transporting or movement of sediments
Weathering: the process by which water, wind, and ice break down rocks and other exposed surfaces into smaller pieces (sediments)
Verbs
Erode: to transport/move sediment through wind, water, ice, and/or gravity
Fossilize: to become a fossil; to preserve
Weather: to break down rocks and exposed surfaces
Fossilize: to become a fossil; to preserve
Weather: to break down rocks and exposed surfaces
Adjectives
Continuous: without interruption; never-ending (adv. continually)
Crystalline: an orderly, repeating structure of atoms
Dense: of high density; crowded; thick; tightly packed
Dichotomous: divided into two parts
Distorted: twisted
Extrusive: outside
Foliated: layered
Inorganic: not living or once living
Intrusive: inside
Molten: melted
Organic: made up of living or once living matter
Plastic: flowing; moving; capable of being made into different shapes
Scaled: to scale; proportional; maintaining the same ratios
Stratified: layered; foliated
Varying: different; changing
Crystalline: an orderly, repeating structure of atoms
Dense: of high density; crowded; thick; tightly packed
Dichotomous: divided into two parts
Distorted: twisted
Extrusive: outside
Foliated: layered
Inorganic: not living or once living
Intrusive: inside
Molten: melted
Organic: made up of living or once living matter
Plastic: flowing; moving; capable of being made into different shapes
Scaled: to scale; proportional; maintaining the same ratios
Stratified: layered; foliated
Varying: different; changing
