Earth History - Inv 1&2 Exam Questions (31 Terms) With Verified Definitions Updated 2024

root wedging {Ans: when the roots of plants grow and search for minerals and water in rock fractures, exerting pressure on the rocks and driving them apart}layers {Ans: flat deposits of rock that cover a large area}deposition {Ans: the settling of sediments}weathering {Ans: the process of breaking down rocks into sediments}Principle of Superposition {Ans: states that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest rocks are on the bottom and the rocks become progressively younger toward the top}canyon {Ans: a v-shaped valley eroded by a stream/river}rock {Ans: a solid earth material that is made of minerals}geologist {Ans: a scientist who studies the earth}erosion {Ans: the movement of sediments to another place by water, wind, or ice}limestone {Ans: a sedimentary rock made mostly of calcite, fizzes in acid}Earth-imaging satellite {Ans: a device launched into space to orbit Earth to record images of its surface, such a GeoEye-1}landform {Ans: a natural feature of Earth's surface with a characteristic shape, like a mountain, delta, or canyon}physical weathering {Ans: the process by which rocks are broken down by breaking and banging}basin {Ans: a large low area where sediments have been deposited}biological breakdown