Earth Science Overview

Front

What are endogenic processes?

Back

Internal processes (tectonics, earthquakes, volcanism) powered by radioactive decay.

Front

What are exogenic processes?

Back

External processes (rivers, erosion, glaciers) powered by solar energy.

Front

Define minerals.

Back

Naturally occurring, inorganic, crystalline compounds.

Front

What are igneous rocks?

Back

Rocks formed from solidified magma; can be intrusive (slow cooling, coarse) or extrusive (fast cooling, fine-grained).

Front

What are sedimentary rocks?

Back

Layered deposits; can be clastic (from fragments) or non-clastic (precipitates).

Front

What are metamorphic rocks?

Back

Rocks altered by heat/pressure, often foliated.

Front

What is the rock cycle?

Back

Interaction of endogenic/exogenic systems to form/transform rocks.

Front

Describe the geologic time scale.

Back

Eon > Era > Period > Epoch.

Front

What is uniformitarianism?

Back

The principle that 'The present is the key to the past.'

Front

What is stratigraphy?

Back

The study of rock layers and their sequences.