Geological Cycle Flashcards
What is sedimentation?
layers building up and compacting to form sediment
What is fossilisation?
animals decomposing and forming sediments under high pressure and temperatures
How are the himalayas involved in the carbon cycle?
- formed millions of years ago by processes such as sedimentation
- long term carbon store
- plates converge due to tectonic processes
- uplift exposes mountains and makes them vulnerable to chemical weathering
Describe the process of the geological cycle
transportation -> deposition -> subduction -> rising back up -> chemical weathering
What type of lava releases the most gas?
andesitic
What is subduction?
a denser, heavier plate sinking below a less dense plate and being forced into the mantle/asthenosphere
What is weathering?
the slow process that breaks down rocks, releasing carbon over long periods of time
What is diagenesis?
physical and chemical changes in rocks, which ultimately leads to sediments forming under high temperatures and pressures
What does precipitate means?
mineral forms by crystallisation from a solution
What is tectonic uplift?
the geologic uplift of Earth’s surface that is attributed to plate tectonics.
