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Geology studies the Earth’s history and life through the study of rocks and the Earth’s crust. It has a unique vocabulary, including terms for physical formations like mountains and volcanoes, landforms like glaciers, and types of rocks and minerals. Geological terms also refer to visible surface changes like fissures and faults.
Geology is the science that deals with the history of the Earth and its life through the study of the earth’s crust and rocks. Like all specialized sciences, it has a vocabulary of its own. There are a number of common geological terms one encounters when considering scientific questions having to do with the composition of the Earth.
Many geological terms specify the physical formations studied by a geologist to draw conclusions about changes in the earth’s surface. Mountains are steep-sided protuberances, taller than hills, that may or may not be part of a mountain range or ridge. A volcano is any opening in the earth’s crust, usually part of a mountain, through which molten rock and other deposits periodically pour out.
Glaciers are masses of snow and ice that usually range in size from about 328 feet (100 meters) to about 6,213 miles (10,000 kilometers). They usually last for a period of years. The term geomorphology refers to the geological and climatic study and interpretation of landforms, taking into account their irregularities.
A large number of geological terms are designations for various types of rocks found in some types of landforms. Sedimentary rocks are layered and formed from sediments or loose particles of older rocks. An example of a sedimentary rock is limestone, which in most cases is formed from inorganic chemicals found in seawater. An igneous rock, an example is granite, is derived from molten material such as volcanic lava. When the mineral and chemical composition of a sedimentary or igneous rock changes due to exposure to intense pressure and/or heat, the result is metamorphic rock.
Other geological terms refer to the minerals that make up rocks. A mineral is a naturally occurring non-organic compound, usually of a crystalline structure. Each mineral has a unique chemical composition. Feldspar is an aluminum-rich mineral contained in granite rock. It is the most common mineral found in the earth’s crust. Calcite is the main mineral found in limestone.
Some geological terms refer to visible surface changes in the earth’s crust. A fissure is a long, narrow fracture or break in a rock or the earth’s surface that typically occurs with repeated weather changes and erosion. Rocks that have fissures often become filled with minerals other than those that make up their outer surface. Faults occur when a break has occurred in the rocks and movement has occurred. They can appear as flat or curved.
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