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 from the 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.