Anticline—Arching rock fold that is
closed at the top and open at bottom. Oldest formation occurs in the center
of an anticline.
Basement—Complex of igneous and metamorphic
rock that underlies the sedimentary rocks of a region.
Biotic—Pertaining to plants and animals.
Boreal—Relating to the northern biotic
area characterized by the dominance of coniferous forests.
Carbonate rock—Collective term including
limestone and dolomite.
Coniferous—Describing the cone-bearing
trees of the pine family; usually evergreen.
Continental drift—Theory that the
continental land masses drift across the earth as the earth’s plates
move and interact in a process called plate tectonics.
Deciduous—Plants that shed their leaves
seasonally and are leafless for part of the year.
Endemic—Having originated in and being
restricted to one particular environment.
Escarpment—Cliff or steep rock face
formed by faulting that separates two comparatively level land surfaces.
Extinct—No longer existing.
Extirpated—Extinct in a particular
area.
Feldspar—Complex of silicates that make
up bulk of the earth’s crust.
Fold—Warped rock including synclines and
anticlines.
Gneiss—Metamorphic granitelike rock showing
layers.
Granite—Igneous rock composed predominantly
of visible grains of feldspar and quartz. Used in building.
Igneous—Rock formed by cooled and hardened
magma within the crust or lava on the surface.
Karst—Area of land lying over limestone
and characterized by sinkholes, caves, and sinking streams.
Lava—Magma which reaches the surface of
the earth.
Magma—Molten rock within the earth’s
crust.
Metamorphic—Rock which has been changed
into present state after being subjected to heat and pressure fromthe crust,
or chemical alteration.
Monadnock—Land that contains more erosion-resistant
rock than surrounding area and therefore is higher.
Orogeny—A geologic process which results
in the formation of mountain belts.
Outcrop—Exposed bedrock.
Overthrust belt—An area where older
rock has been thrust over younger rock.
Rapids—Fast-moving water that flows around
rocks and boulders in rivers; classified from I to VI according to degree
of difficulty navigating.
Schist—Flaky, metamorphic rock
containing parallel layers of minerals such as mica.
Sedimentary—Rocks formed by the accumulation
of sediments (sandstone, shale) or the remains of products of animals or plants
(limestone, coal).
Shale—Sedimentary rock composed of clay,
mud, and silt grains which easily splits into layers.
Syncline—A rock fold shaped like a
U that is closed at the bottom and open at the top. The youngest rock is at
the center of a syncline.
Talus—Rock debris and boulders that accumulate
at the base of a cliff.
Watershed—The area drained by a river
and all its tributaries.
