Unit 4 Flashcards
rock formed directly from magma
igneous rock
- rock that forms when sediments such as muds, sands, or gravels are compressed by overlying sediments
- forms over longer periods of time
- fossil records found here
sedimentary rock
rock that forms when sedimentary rock, igneous rock, or other metamorphic rock is subjected with high temperature and pressure
metamorphic rock
a place where molten material from Earth’s mantle reaches the lithosphere
hot spot
the process of one crustal plate passing under another
subduction
a vent in the surface of earth that emirs ash, gases, or molten lava
volcano
a chain of volcanoes, hundreds to thousands of miles long, that forms above a subduction zone
volcanic island arcs
an area beneath the ocean where tectonic plates move away from each other
divergent plate boundary
- an area where plates move toward one another and collide
- plates are forced into one another which then pushes material upward in one of the processes that leads to the formation of mountains
convergent plate boundary
a fracture in rock caused by a movement of Earth’s crust
fault
an area where tectonic plates move sideways past each other
transform fault boundary/strike-slip
a series of waves in the ocean caused by seismic activity or an undersea volcano
tsunami
the physical removal of rock fragments from a landscape or ecosystem
erosion
the accumulation or depositing of an eroded material such as sediment, rock fragments, or soil
deposition
the most fully decomposed organic matter in the lowest section of the O horizon
humus
- the organic horizon at the surface of many soils, composed of organic detritus in various stages of decomposition
- found in forests soils and some grasslands
- most organic material
O horizon
- frequently the top layer of soil, a zone of organic material and minerals that have been mixed together
- AKA topsoil
A horizon
a zone of leaching, or eluviation, found in some acidic soils under the O horizon or less often, the A horizon
E horizon
- a soil horizon composed primarily of mineral material with very little organic matter
- AKA subsoil
B horizon
the least-weathered soil horizon, which always occurs beneath the B horizon and is similar to the parent material
C horizon
how much water can be stored in the soil
porosity
how quickly soil drains
permeability
break down of rock
weathering
the average weather that occurs in a given region over a long period of time
climate