What is Geology Glossary and Terms? | Types, Definition, Structure, Function & Facts

What is Geology Glossary and Terms?

This geographic glossary is a list of definitions of terms and concepts used in geography and related fields, including earth science, oceanography, cartography, and human geography, as well as definitions describing spatial dimensions, topographical features, natural resources, and collections. , analyze and visualize geographic data.

Ablation – Loss of ice or snow from a glacier due to melting, evaporation, or wind erosion.

Bedrock – The layer of hard rock beneath the loose surface (earth, clay, gravel, sand) of the Earth.

Cave – A natural underground room usually located in a cliff or hill large enough for humans to enter.

Delta – Low, flat terrain located near the mouth of a river.

Epoch – Geological time division.

Earthquake – The shaking of the ground caused by the sudden movement of the earth’s crust, usually at a fault line.

Earth’s core – The very hot center of the Earth is made up of iron and nickel. The inner core is so pressurized that it is solid while the outer core is liquid metal.

Earth’s crust – The Earth’s outermost layer is made up of rocks and minerals.

Erosion – The process by which soil is eroded by water, wind, and ice.

Fault – A crack in the earth’s crust where large areas of land are slowly moving into each other.

Fossil – Fossils are the remains or preserved traces of a living organism from the distant past.

Glacier – A large block of ice that does not melt for a long time.

Ice age – The period in Earth’s history when large ice caps covered the Earth’s polar regions.

Igneous rock – A rock formed by cooling magma or lava.

Lava – Lava is molten rock that has been erupted to the Earth’s surface by a volcano.

Magma – Molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface. When magma is expelled from the Earth’s surface, it is called lava.

Mantle – The layer of the Earth between the outer mantle and the core, the mantle consists mainly of silicate rocks.

Metamorphic rock – A rock formed by high temperature and pressure in the earth’s crust.

Mineral – A mineral is a solid that occurs in nature. Minerals are consistently transparent and can be represented by a chemical formula.

Mountain – A geological feature that rises significantly above the surrounding land, usually at least 1,000 feet above sea level.

Ocean tide – The rise and fall of sea levels on the coast due to the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun.

Pangea – A supercontinent that scientists believe existed about 300 million years ago. The present continents were all part of Pangea.

Tectonic plates – Much of the Earth’s crust moves slowly.

Relief – The difference in elevation between different parts of an area.

Ridge – A long and narrow section that cuts across the top of a range of hills or mountains.

Rift – Where the earth’s crust is torn apart.

Rock – A solid made up of a number of different minerals. Rocks are often heterogeneous and cannot be represented by a chemical formula.

Sedimentary rock – Rock formed from years of sediment compacting and becoming hard.

Soil – The loose top layer of the Earth’s surface where plants grow.

Topography – Describes the physical features of an area of ​​land.

Volcano – A hole in the earth’s crust where molten rock erupts to the surface.