Lesson 3 – Key Terms Quiz

A texture of igneous rocks describing the large numbers of holes in the rock. The holes develop as the result of volcanic gases making frothy bubbles in lava as it was cooling.

“Broken bits of fiery rock” sourced from volcanoes.

Water derived from precipitation in the atmosphere. Much of this water can infiltrate into the ground and become groundwater.

The transfer of heat through the motion of a fluid. This is driven by gravity and differences in density. Warm, less dense fluid rises and is replaced by sinking cold, more dense fluid.

A crystalline igneous rock where many of the individual mineral grains are larger than 30 mm in size.

A circular (spherical) bulls-eye-like scar that is produced by numerous alpha particles emanating from a radioactive point source. Commonly they occur surrounding zircon grains in sheets of biotite crystals.

The removal of water from sedimentary rock as the result of compaction (squeezing).

The hardening process that turns sediment into sedimentary rock.

Water that is contained within hot liquid rock (magma).

An igneous rock that has two distinct grain sizes (large and small).

Loose particles that have been derived from the weathering of rock (mud, silt, sand, etc.)

A mechanical or chemical process that breaks a larger rock down into smaller pieces or its chemical components.

A hypothetical process that shows how igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks are related to each other and with the weathering process.

Liquid rock that is found above the surface of Earth.

Rocks that were either called into existence early in the Creation Week (Days 1-3) or formed by processes (crystallization, erosion, metamorphism, etc.) that happened early in the Creation Week.

Refers to the fine crystal size (<1 mm) in igneous rocks.

A crystalline igneous rock texture where the mineral grains are between 1-30 mm in diameter.

Rock that forms as the result of volcanic activity. The rock is extruded from volcanoes.

A rind of un-melted, but altered baked material that surrounds a pluton.

When sediment is turned into sedimentary rock it must be squeezed (or compacted) to drive water out and reduce the void space (pore space) within the rock.

A large underground body of liquid magma that cools to form an igneous rock.

Sometimes referred to as extrusive igneous rock because the rock was “extruded” out of a volcano.

The rock that surrounds a cooling igneous pluton.

Liquid or molten rock below the surface of Earth.

A highly energetic radioactive decay product consisting of two protons and two neutrons (essentially a helium atom).

Any rock that has crystallized from liquid or molten rock.

A rock that has formed from liquid rock “intruding” into pre-existing country rock. Sometimes these rocks are referred to as “plutons.”

A series of chemical reactions that happen within magmas leading to the crystallization of the magma. It is named in honor of N.L. Bowen.