ch20 flashcards

Question 1

major mountain belt (orogenic belt)

Answer 1

A large-scale region of the Earth’s crust that has been intensely deformed by tectonic processes, often containing folded and faulted rock layers and formed through orogeny

Question 2

craton

Answer 2

The ancient, stable core of a continent, composed of old and relatively undeformed rock. Cratons typically include shields and platforms

Question 3

shield

Answer 3

The exposed part of a craton, consisting of old, Precambrian crystalline rocks at the surface, representing some of Earth’s oldest, most stable crust

Question 4

volcanic (mountain range)

Answer 4

Mountains formed by volcanic activity, where magma rises to the surface and builds up layers of lava and pyroclastic material, often at convergent or divergent plate boundaries or over hot spots

Question 5

fold and thrust belts

Answer 5

Mountain belts formed by the compressive forces that fold and stack rock layers, pushing sheets of rock over one another to form linear ranges, often associated with continental collisions

Question 6

fault-block mountain range

Answer 6

Mountains formed when large blocks of crust are uplifted and tilted along normal faults, creating ranges separated by valleys. Common in areas of crustal extension

Question 7

upwarped (mountain range)

Answer 7

Mountains formed when broad regions of the Earth’s crust are pushed upward without much deformation of the underlying rock layers, often due to deep-seated mantle processes

Question 8

mountain range

Answer 8

A series of connected mountains formed through tectonic processes such as folding, faulting, and volcanic activity, often associated with plate boundaries

Question 9

orogeny (orogenesis)

Answer 9

The process of mountain building through tectonic forces, including the collision of continental plates, subduction, and the deformation and uplift of Earth’s crust

Question 10

accreted terrane

Answer 10

A piece of crustal material, often with a distinct geologic history, that has been transported and attached (accreted) to a continent at a convergent plate margin

Question 11

suspect terrane

Answer 11

A type of terrane whose origin and original position are uncertain, inferred from geological and paleomagnetic evidence to have formed far from its current location

Question 12

terrane (tectonostratigraphic terrane)

Answer 12

A distinct, fault-bounded region of the crust with a geologic history different from that of adjacent areas, identified by unique rock types, fossils, or structural features