The layer of Earth where rocks melt under intense pressure and high temperatures.
What is the mantle.
100
This rock type forms when magma cools.
What is igneous rock
100
Rocks are made of this substance.
What is a mineral
100
A natural material whose concentration of economically valuable minerals is high enough to be mined at a profit.
What is ore
100
The layers of sedimentary rock that can trap fossils and help geologists determine the age of a rock formation.
What is strata
200
The theory that explains why the continents have moved over time.
What is plate tectonics.
200
This rock type forms when sedimentary rock experiences extreme heat and pressure.
What is metamorphic rock.
200
The simplest form of matter that can determine the chemical composition of a mineral.
What are elements and compounds.
200
A mining technique that results in the formation of a large open pit.
What is surface mining
200
The eon in Earth's history known as "The Age of Reptiles"
What is the Cenozoic.
300
The Earth's age.
What is 4.6 billion years ago.
300
This rock type forms because of the erosion of igneous rock.
What is sedimentary rock
300
The two most common elements in Earth's crust.
What is silicon and oxygen.
300
The form of mining that uses drift mines, slope mines, and shaft mines.
What is subsurface mining
300
The time in Earth's history known as "The Age of Mammals"
What is the Mesozoic.
400
The geological process that explains how rocks are formed, changed from one type to another, and destroyed by geological processes.
What is the rock cycle.
400
A form of igneous rock that cooled very fast and looks like black glass.
What is obsidian.
400
A test used to determine the resistance to a mineral being scratched.
What is the hardness (Mohs) test.
400
The ore that was mined in Butte, MT
What is copper.
400
The laboratory technique that looks at the ratio of radioactive material compared to non-radioactive, stable material to determine the age of a sample.
What is radioisotope dating (carbon-dating, isotope dating).
500
Thomas Lyell's theory that the Earth is very old and most processes on the planet, like mountain building, take a lot of time.
What is uniformitarianism.
500
This rock type forms when limestone undergoes extreme heat and pressure to form marble.
What is metamorphic.
500
A physical measurement that can identify a mineral based on its mass and volume.