地质复习题综述.doc

1.andesite:an intermediate type of volcanic rock between basalt and rhyolite. 2.back-arc basic:a seafloor spreading system of volcanoes caused extension behind an island arc that is above a subduction zone. 3.barrier island:a low,elongated coastal island that parallels the shoreline and protects the beach from storms. 4.basalt:a dark,volcanic rock rich in iron and magnesium and usually quite fluid in the molten state. 5.carbonate:a mineral containing calcium carbonate such as limestone and dolostone. 6.Cenozoic:an era of geologic time comprising the last 65 million years. 7.Circum-Pacific belt:active seismic regions around the rim of the belt Pacific plate coinciding with the Ring of Fire. 8.continental drift:the concept that the continents drift across the surface of Earth. 9.continental shelf:the offshore area of a continent in shallow sea. 10.continental slope:the transition from the continental shelf to the deep-sea basin. 11.Convergent Plate margin:the boundary between crustal plates where the plates come together;generally corresponds to the deep-sea trenches where old crust is destroyed in subduction zones. 12.delta:the wedge-shaped pile of sediments deposited at the mouth of a river. 13.divergent plate margin:the boundary between lithospheric plates where they separate;it generally corresponds to midocean ridges where new crust is formed by the solidification of liquid rock rising from below. 14.erosion:the wearing away of surface materials by natural agents such as wind and water. 15.fossil:any remains,impressions,or traces in rock of a plant or animal of a previous geologic age. 16.geologic column:the total thickness of geologic units in a region. 17.granite:a coarse-grain,silica-rich rock consisting primarily of quartz and feldspars. 18.guyot:undersea volcano that once existed above sea level and whose top was flattened by erosion;later,subsidence caused the volcano to sink below the ocean surface,preserving its flat-top appearance. 19.hydrocarbon:a molec