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The planet we live on: The beginnings of the Earth Sciences

The planet we live on: The beginnings of the Earth Sciences

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Evaporite deposits (or evaporites) Salts (e.g. halite) that crystallise out when a lakeor arm <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sea evaporatesExcepti<strong>on</strong>al preservati<strong>on</strong> (lagerstätten) Unusual examples in <strong>the</strong> fossil record wheregroups <strong>of</strong> fossils are very <str<strong>on</strong>g>we</str<strong>on</strong>g>ll preserved, usually with many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir s<strong>of</strong>t parts attachedExfoliati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> formati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> curved sheets <strong>of</strong> rock by <str<strong>on</strong>g>we</str<strong>on</strong>g>a<strong>the</strong>ring <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rock’s surface;comm<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> granites affected by heating and cooling <str<strong>on</strong>g>we</str<strong>on</strong>g>a<strong>the</strong>ringExplorati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>we</str<strong>on</strong>g>ll A borehole drilled to prospect for oil or gas (or water)Extincti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> dying out <strong>of</strong> a group <strong>of</strong> organismsExtrusive (lava, pyroclastics or igneous rock) Extrusi<strong>on</strong> is caused by magma reaching<strong>the</strong> surface and erupting volcanically as lava, ash, or larger pyroclastic materialsFacing st<strong>on</strong>es Thin slabs <strong>of</strong> ornamental rock attached to <strong>the</strong> walls <strong>of</strong> buildingsFault <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> brittle failure <strong>of</strong> rock under pressure, with movement <strong>of</strong> <strong>on</strong>e side relative to<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r; earthquakes are caused by faultingFault breccia Fractured angular rock fragments in a fault plane, caused by rock breakageduring fault movementFault displacement <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> amount <strong>of</strong> movement <strong>of</strong> layers by faulting, measured al<strong>on</strong>g <strong>the</strong>fault planeFault plane <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> fracture surface <strong>of</strong> a fault, al<strong>on</strong>g which relative movement occurredFault scarp A steep slope in <strong>the</strong> landscape caused when rocks ei<strong>the</strong>r side <strong>of</strong> a majorfault have differed in <strong>the</strong>ir resistance to erosi<strong>on</strong>Faunal successi<strong>on</strong> (law <strong>of</strong>) <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> law that all animals follow <strong>on</strong>e ano<strong>the</strong>r in geologicaltime in a predictable sequence; plants have a similar predictable sequence - <str<strong>on</strong>g>we</str<strong>on</strong>g> nowknow that this is due to evoluti<strong>on</strong>Feedback Change in a system resulting in fur<strong>the</strong>r change, ei<strong>the</strong>r reinforcing <strong>the</strong> change(positive feedback) or resisting <strong>the</strong> change (negative feedback)Feldspar A mineral silicate, usually white, sometimes pink, can form good almost rectangularcrystals, good cleavage, hard, comm<strong>on</strong> in igneous and some metamorphicrocksFine-grained igneous rock Rock formed by quick cooling <strong>of</strong> a magma, e.g. in a surfacelava; crystals usually too small to see, even with a hand lensFocus (earthquake) <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> place under <strong>the</strong> surface where <strong>the</strong> fracture <strong>of</strong> a fault producesearthquake shock waves156

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