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66 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Abyssal Plain
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Underwater plain on the deep ocean floor. Sediment covered areas underneith lays the oceanic crust - basaltic. covers depths of over 6500 feet below sea lever
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Acasta Gneiss
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The oldest rock found in the NWT. represents early continental crust . 3.96GA
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Active Margin
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Narrow shelf, steep slope trench formed by downwarping as the oceanic lithosphere is subducted. some deep sea sediments are subucteded with the lithosphere contributing to the explosive high silica melts that form volcanic arks.
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Aquifer
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Sub-surface layer of saturated permeable rock of unconsolidated sediment from which ground water can be usefully extracted using a well
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Banded Iron Formation
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Alternating bands of red (oxidized) and black (reduced) iron minerals. An important source of iron ore ~2GA. Associated with a rapid increase of free oxygen in the atmosphere
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Biogenous Sediment
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Sediment that is composed of the skeletons and shells of marine organisms. Primarily plankton.
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Burgess Shale
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Rock formation in the Western Canadian Rockies containing a wealth of fossilized invertebrates of the early cambrian period that were burried during an underwater avalanche of fine silt, preserving many details of their soft parts and providing valuable information about evolution and early life
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Calcite
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A common cristiline form of natural calcium carbonate. Found in sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Example: limestone, stalactites and stalagmites
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Cambrian
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Formed in the 1st 65 million years of the Paleozoic era during which marine invertebrates esp trilobites flourished. During this time warm seas and desert lands were widespread and animal life diversified rapidly during what was known as the Cambrian explosion
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Continental Margin
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Zone of the ocean floor that separates the thin continental crust from the thick oceanic crust
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Composite Volcano
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Massive steep sided volcano cones built from repeated outpourings of lava (andesite & rhyolite) and pyroclastic materials (volcanic ash, bombs)
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Crust
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Thin and boyant, sits on top of a thick mantle, silica rich, composed of more dense oceanic crust and less dense contenental crust
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Discharge
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Quantity of water that passes a given location in a given amount of time
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Drainage Basin
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An area of land where water from rain and melting snow and ice drains downhill into a body of water. Included both the streams as well as land surfaces from which water drains into these channels
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Earthquake Intensity
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Assesses the affects of an earthquake on the earth's surface, humans, objects of nature and man made structures. (Mercalli Scale)
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Earthquake Magnitude
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The mathematical measure of the strength of an earthquake based on the maximum amplitude of seismic waves produces (Richter Scale)
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Epicentre
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The surface location directly above the focus (zone where the initial displacement occurred)
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Flood Plain
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Flat low lying portions of the valley that is periodically inundated (exceeds bank full discharge) ~2-3 years
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Flood Recurrence Interval
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Estimate of the average time between specific events of a given magnitude
R = (n+1)/m |
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Fossil Fuel
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Naturally occuring carbon and hydrocarbon fuel such as coal, petroleum, peat or natural gas formed by decomposition of prehistoric organisms
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Composite Volcano
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Massive steep sided volcano cones built from repeated outpourings of lava (andesite & rhyolite) and pyroclastic materials (volcanic ash, bombs)
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Crust
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Thin and boyant, sits on top of a thick mantle, silica rich, composed of more dense oceanic crust and less dense contenental crust
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Discharge
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Quantity of water that passes a given location in a given amount of time
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Drainage Basin
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An area of land where water from rain and melting snow and ice drains downhill into a body of water. Included both the streams as well as land surfaces from which water drains into these channels
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Earthquake Intensity
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Assesses the affects of an earthquake on the earth's surface, humans, objects of nature and man made structures. (Mercalli Scale)
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Earthquake Magnitude
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The mathematical measure of the strength of an earthquake based on the maximum amplitude of seismic waves produces (Richter Scale)
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Epicentre
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The surface location directly above the focus (zone where the initial displacement occurred)
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Flood Plain
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Flat low lying portions of the valley that is periodically inundated (exceeds bank full discharge) ~2-3 years
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Flood Recurrence Interval
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Estimate of the average time between specific events of a given magnitude
R = (n+1)/m |
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Fossil Fuel
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Naturally occuring carbon and hydrocarbon fuel such as coal, petroleum, peat or natural gas formed by decomposition of prehistoric organisms
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Genesis Rock
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Sample of original lunar crust from when the moon was formed ~4.6GA
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Granite
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Silica rich, igneous rock, course grained, phaneritic, plutonic, cools slowly, made of quartz, feldspar, horneblende
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Halite
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Mineral form of sodium chloride (NaCl), has perfect cubic cleavage glassy luster, highly soluble, evaporate mineral
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Hydrolic Gradient
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Determined by measuring the difference in elevation divided by the distance between them -> slope of the water table
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Hydrogenous Sediment
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Sediment formed directly by precipitation of sea water
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Hydro graph
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plots of stream flow over time
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Intraplate earthquake
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an earthquake that happens within the interior of a tectonic plate, not along the boundary
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Ions
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Atoms or groups of atoms that are electrically charged as a result of the loss (cation) or gain (anion) of electrons
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Latent Heat of Evaporation/Condensation
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Energy released or absorbed by a chemical substance durring a change of state without changing its temperature
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Levee
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Raised embarkemnts along a stream channel constructed to protect neighouboring lands from rising flood water
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Limestone
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Sedimentry rock made up of CaCO3 calcium carbonate commonly forms by the accumulation of whole or broken shell material
Limestone is the parent rock of marble |
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Lithospheric Plates
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Regions of the earths crust and upper mantle, broken into plates - divergent, convergent and transform
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Longshore Drift
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Movement of sea sediment (often sand) along a coast parallel to the shore line, down beach
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Magnetic Stripes
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Basaltic crust is produces at spreading centres ie the mid atlantic ridge, and it cools off as it subsides and takes on earths magnetic polarity
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Mantle
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Middle layer of the earth, Thick, made up of dense iron and magnesium rich minerals
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Mineral Reserve
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Portion of a resource that is identified and currently available to be extrated legally. factors in determining a mineral reserve: geographical, technological, economic, legal
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Moraine
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Land forms made up of till deposited by a glacier
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Neap Tide
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Low tidal ranges. Occurs when the moon and sun exert gravatational attractions at right angles during 1st and 3rd quarter moons
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Ore
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Metallic mineral, many are sulfides, many are enriched by hydrothermic processes
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P-Wave
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Primary waves, pass though liquids and solids, fastest seismic waves
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Passive Margin
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Wide shelf and rise built of fans built onto the abyssal plain, farm from plate boundaries
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Pillow Basalt
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Recently extruded lava at spreading ridges
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Progressive Wave
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Wind generated waves that travels accross the sea surface. The energy moves forward at the speed of the waves form but the water moves in orbits
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S-Waved
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Secondary waves, travel though solids, not liquids, this is how we know the outer core is liquid
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Sandstone
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Sedimentary rock composed of sand sized minerals, mainly quartz and or feldspar
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Sediment Drift
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Transporting sediments along the coast at an angle to the shore line. dependent on wind direction, backwash, and swash
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Seismic Gap
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Sediment of an active fault that has not slipped in an unusually long time when compared to other sediments along the same structure
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Sheild Volcano
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Large gently sloping dome shaped mounds, seductive outpouring of basaltic lava
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Spring Tide
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very high title ranges. occurs when the solar and lunar tides are additive - new and full moons
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Standing Wave
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Remains stationary - trapped - as the water moves beneath them. they escalate back and forth about a fixed point called a node
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Tephra
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Volcanic ash regardless of composition, fragment size or placement mechanism. usually rhyolite in composition
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Terrigenous Sediment
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Grains produced by the weathering and erosion of the rocks on land. derived from continents
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Thermostatic Properties
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Water's triple point occurs on earth high heat capacity and high heat of vaporization gives water its thermostatic properties it helps to moderate climates in coastal regions (ie gulf stream)
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Turbidity Current
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Submarine mass wasting events, rapidly moving sediment laten sediment. higher density
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Unconformity
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Hiatus in time in the rock record. 3 types: non conformity, disconformity, angular unconformity
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Weathering
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Process that breaks up smaller particles (physical/ mechanical weathering) corrode (chemically alter the minerals to form other minerals). Transforms solid rock into solid partials called clasts
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