Geology and Earth Sciences Quiz

The innermost zone of Earth, made mostly of iron and nickel, with a liquid outer layer and a solid inner core.

The layer above the core, containing magma, the atmosphere, and the solid upper mantle. It's like a thick layer of goo.

The theory that Earth's outer layer is divided into plates that move and interact, causing earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain ranges.

An area where two tectonic plates move apart, causing magma to rise and form new oceanic crust. This creates new seafloor.

An area where two tectonic plates collide, resulting in subduction, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. One plate slides under the other.

An area where two continental plates collide, pushing up the Earth's crust to form mountains.

A fracture in rock caused by the movement of Earth's crust.

An area where tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally.

A circular motion of fluid driven by differences in temperature and density.

When continents collide, they crumple and fold, creating mountains.

Rock formed directly from cooled and solidified magma.

Rock formed when sediments like mud, sand, or gravel are compressed over time.

Rock formed when existing rock is altered by heat and pressure.

The process of breaking down rocks and minerals.

The physical removal of rock fragments from a landscape.

The ability of water to move through soil.

The sum of air spaces between soil particles.

The proportion of soil bases to soil acids expressed as a percentage.

The ability of a particular soil to absorb and release cations.

A mix of sand, silt, and clay that offers a balance of good drainage and water holding capacity.

The average concentration of an element in Earth's crust.

A concentrated accumulation of minerals from which economically valuable materials can be extracted.

An element with properties that allow it to conduct electricity and heat energy and perform other important functions.

In resource management, the known quantity of a resource that can be economically recovered.

The removal of overlying vegetation and "strips" of soil and rock to expose underlying ore.

Placing events in a sequence without determining their exact ages.

States that sedimentary rocks are initially formed in horizontal layers unless disrupted by later events.

The oldest rock layer is typically found at the bottom of a sequence of undisturbed layers.

A disruptive event that cuts through existing rock layers is younger than the layers it intersects.

The time it takes for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.

The unstable atom that undergoes radioactive decay.

The stable atom that is formed after radioactive decay.

A technique used to determine the absolute age of rocks and fossils by measuring the decay of radioactive isotopes.

The process by which an unstable atomic nucleus transforms into a more stable nucleus by releasing energy and particles.