Volcanoes!
A broad, flat, effusive volcano type commonly found at mantle hot spots.
Shield
After an earthquake, this type of seismic wave will always arrive at a seismograph first:
Primary (P)
The most common mineral group in Earth's crust.
Feldspar
Despite technically containing no true minerals, this amorphous rock is formed from rapidly cooling basaltic lava.
Obsidian
Common coiled cephalopod found from the Devonian to the Cretaceous period:
Earth's largest active volcano
Mauna Loa
The process by which sediment is converted to sedimentary rock:
Lithification
Limestone is known to react with hydrochloric acid due to the presence of this anion in its primary mineral:
Carbonate
Known for its distinct color, this "rock," is the really petrified tree resin.
Amber
This famous avian dinosaur was the first used to evolutionarily link birds and dinosaurs.
Archaeopteryx
Also called Tahoma, this large stratovolcano in Washington has a high likelihood of eruption in the near future.
Mt. Rainier
This groundwater-saturated layer of permeable rock, sand, or gravel used as a source of water for wells and springs is a subject of study for hydrogeologists.
Aquifer
This October birthstone IS a mineral, and is also commonly found in striated black prismatic formations.
Tourmaline
This October birthstone is NOT a true mineral, due to its amorphous structure:
Opal
A very common fossil, and one of the earliest groups of arthropods to appear in the fossil record, this set of species lived in the oceans for nearly 270 million years.
Trilobite
A fast-flowing, destructive torrent of water, mud, volcanic ash, rock fragments, and debris that travels down river valleys from a volcano.
Lahar
The process by which ocean lithosphere is changed by chemical processes near divergent plate boundaries:
Hydrothermal Alteration (or Circulation)
This least-common variety of coal is glassy and burns cleaner than other types of coal due to its high carbon content.
Anthracite
Similar in name to a true mineral, which is often used for radiometric dating, this synthetic crystal first hit the jewelry market in the 1970s.
Cubic Zirconia
The largest T-Rex fossil ever found was given this name; the first name of the paleontologist (Hendrickson) who discovered it.
SUE
Found on Mars, this is the largest volcano in the solar system
Olympus Mons
Large, deep underwater sinkhole or marine cavern that often contains tidally influenced water. Created when limestone, gypsum, or marble erodes through karst processes to form an underground cave system, which collapses after being flooded.
Blue hole
This rare earth metal, found in lanthanide minerals like monazite and bastnasite, makes the strongest known magnets, crucial for modern electronics and electric generators.
Neodymium
Typically amorphous. It can be stony, glassy, or vesicular; metallic or nonmetallic. Visit any rock or identification forum, and you're likely to see many examples of this impure, human-made waste:
Slag
Joshua trees would face extinction without human intervention, as their primary seed spreaders were this extinct mammal from 12,000 years ago.
Giant Ground Sloth