| A | B |
|---|
| rock | a naturally occurring solid mixture of one or more minerals or organic matter |
| texture | the quality of a rock that is based on the sizes, shapes, and positions of the rock's grains |
| composition | the chemical makeup of a rock; describes either the minerals or other materials in the rock |
| rock cycle | the series of processes in which rock forms, changes from one type to another, is broken down or melted, and forms again by geological processes |
| rift zone | the area of deep cracks that forms between two tectonic plates that are pulling away from each other |
| uplift | the rising of regions of Earth's crust to higher elevations |
| subsidence | the sinking of regions of the Earth's crust to lower elevations |
| igneous rock | rock that forms when magma cools and solidifies |
| metamorphic rock | a rock that forms from other rocks as a result of intense heat, pressure, or chemical processes |
| sedimentary rock | a rock that forms from compressed or cemented layers of sediment |
| weathering | the natural process by which atmospheric and environmental agents, such as wind, rain, and temperature changes, disintegrate and decompose rocks |
| deposition | in geology, the process by which material is laid down |
| erosion | the process by which wind, water, ice, or gravity transports soil and sediment from one location to another |
