Glossary of Terms
abundant metal Iron, aluminum, magnesium, manganese,
and titanium. Ores of the abundant metals only need to be 3 – 5 times
as metal-rich as average rock.
aftershock An earthquake that follows and has its epicenter
near a larger earthquake.
aquifer A permeable region of rock or soil through
which ground water can move.
bedrock Any solid rock exposed at the Earth’s surface
or overlain by unconsolidated material.
coast A narrow strip of land along the margin of the
ocean extending inland for a variable distance from low water mark.
continental arc A belt of volcanic mountains on the
continental mainland that lie above a subduction zone. compare island
arc .
continental crust The part of the crust that directly
underlies the continents and continental shelves. Averages about 35
km in thickness, but may be over 70 km thick under largest mountain
ranges.
convergent boundary A boundary between two plates of
the Earth’s crust that are pushing together.
crust The upper part of the lithosphere , divided into
oceanic crust and continental crust .
epicenter The point on the Earth’s surface that is
directly above the focus of an earthquake.
epoch A division of geologic time next shorter than
a period. Example: the Pleistocene epoch is in the Quaternary period.
fault The surface of rock rupture along which there
has been differential movement of the rock on either side.
flood Peak flow that tops the banks of a stream channel.
floodplain Area bordering a stream over which water
spreads when the stream tops its channel banks.
ground water Water beneath the Earth’s surface.
igneous rock A rock that has crystallized from a molten
state.
island arc A curved belt of volcanic islands lying
above a subduction zone. compare continental arc.
liquefaction The transformation of a soil from a solid
to a liquid state as the result of increased pore pressure.
metamorphic rock A rock changed from its original form
and/or composition by heat, pressure, or chemically active fluids, or
some combination of them.
mineral A naturally occurring inorganic solid that
has a well-defined chemical composition and in which atoms are arranged
in an ordered fashion.
oceanic crust That part of the crust underlying the
ocean basins. Composed of basalt and having a thickness of about 5 km.
pelagic ooze A deep ocean sediment consisting of at
least 30% skeletal remains of calcareous or siliceous microorganisms,
the rest being clay minerals.
plate boundaries The zones of seismic activity long
which plates are in contact. These may coincide with continental margins
, but usually do not. Movement between plates is predominately horizontal,
and may be divergent, or convergent, or side-by-side.
resources The reserves of a valuable mineral commodity
plus all other mineral deposits that may eventually become available,
even those that are presumed to exist but have not yet been discovered
and those that are not economically or technologically exploitable at
the moment. The total mineral endowment ultimately available for extraction.
sedimentary rock Rock formed from the accumulation
of sediment, which may consist of fragments and mineral grains of varying
sizes from pre-existing rocks, remains or products of animals and plants,
the products of chemical action, or mixtures of these.
strike-slip fault (transcurrent fault) A fault on which
the movement is parallel to the fault’s strike
subduction zone A narrow, elongate region in which
one lithospheric plate descends relative to another.
thrust fault A reverse fault on which the dip angle
of the fault plane is 15 degrees or less.
volcanic ash The dust-sized, sharp-edged, glassy particles
resulting from an explosive volcanic eruption.
volcano A vent in the surface of the Earth, from which
lava, ash, and gases erupt, forming a structure that is roughly conical.
water table The surface between the zone of saturation
and the zone of aeration.
Adapted from Iowa State University Department of Geological & Atmospheric Sciences Glossary of Geologic Terms.
(http://www.ge-at.iastate.edu/glossary-of-geologic-terms/)
and titanium. Ores of the abundant metals only need to be 3 – 5 times
as metal-rich as average rock.
aftershock An earthquake that follows and has its epicenter
near a larger earthquake.
aquifer A permeable region of rock or soil through
which ground water can move.
bedrock Any solid rock exposed at the Earth’s surface
or overlain by unconsolidated material.
coast A narrow strip of land along the margin of the
ocean extending inland for a variable distance from low water mark.
continental arc A belt of volcanic mountains on the
continental mainland that lie above a subduction zone. compare island
arc .
continental crust The part of the crust that directly
underlies the continents and continental shelves. Averages about 35
km in thickness, but may be over 70 km thick under largest mountain
ranges.
convergent boundary A boundary between two plates of
the Earth’s crust that are pushing together.
crust The upper part of the lithosphere , divided into
oceanic crust and continental crust .
epicenter The point on the Earth’s surface that is
directly above the focus of an earthquake.
epoch A division of geologic time next shorter than
a period. Example: the Pleistocene epoch is in the Quaternary period.
fault The surface of rock rupture along which there
has been differential movement of the rock on either side.
flood Peak flow that tops the banks of a stream channel.
floodplain Area bordering a stream over which water
spreads when the stream tops its channel banks.
ground water Water beneath the Earth’s surface.
igneous rock A rock that has crystallized from a molten
state.
island arc A curved belt of volcanic islands lying
above a subduction zone. compare continental arc.
liquefaction The transformation of a soil from a solid
to a liquid state as the result of increased pore pressure.
metamorphic rock A rock changed from its original form
and/or composition by heat, pressure, or chemically active fluids, or
some combination of them.
mineral A naturally occurring inorganic solid that
has a well-defined chemical composition and in which atoms are arranged
in an ordered fashion.
oceanic crust That part of the crust underlying the
ocean basins. Composed of basalt and having a thickness of about 5 km.
pelagic ooze A deep ocean sediment consisting of at
least 30% skeletal remains of calcareous or siliceous microorganisms,
the rest being clay minerals.
plate boundaries The zones of seismic activity long
which plates are in contact. These may coincide with continental margins
, but usually do not. Movement between plates is predominately horizontal,
and may be divergent, or convergent, or side-by-side.
resources The reserves of a valuable mineral commodity
plus all other mineral deposits that may eventually become available,
even those that are presumed to exist but have not yet been discovered
and those that are not economically or technologically exploitable at
the moment. The total mineral endowment ultimately available for extraction.
sedimentary rock Rock formed from the accumulation
of sediment, which may consist of fragments and mineral grains of varying
sizes from pre-existing rocks, remains or products of animals and plants,
the products of chemical action, or mixtures of these.
strike-slip fault (transcurrent fault) A fault on which
the movement is parallel to the fault’s strike
subduction zone A narrow, elongate region in which
one lithospheric plate descends relative to another.
thrust fault A reverse fault on which the dip angle
of the fault plane is 15 degrees or less.
volcanic ash The dust-sized, sharp-edged, glassy particles
resulting from an explosive volcanic eruption.
volcano A vent in the surface of the Earth, from which
lava, ash, and gases erupt, forming a structure that is roughly conical.
water table The surface between the zone of saturation
and the zone of aeration.
Adapted from Iowa State University Department of Geological & Atmospheric Sciences Glossary of Geologic Terms.
(http://www.ge-at.iastate.edu/glossary-of-geologic-terms/)