#Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.mlxxvii)

Words taken from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

Stone Age (n.) a prehistoric period characterized by the use of weapons and tools made of stone.

vug (n.) mineralogy. a small pocket or cavity in a rock, lined with tiny crystals.

global warming (n.) the increase in temperature of the earth’s atmosphere supposedly caused by the greenhouse effect.

chrome plating, chromium plating (n.) a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. [...] The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease cleaning procedures, or increase surface hardness.  [x]

impact glass (n.) glass made upon impact? [I could not find a definition for this ...]

crystal habit (n.) mineralogy. the characteristic external shape of an individual crystal or crystal group. A single crystal’s habit is a description of its general shape and its crystallographic forms plus how well developed each form is. [x]

tectonic plate (n.) massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere. [x]

parent rock (n.) the rock type that a metamorphic rock was before it was subjected to metamorphic conditions. [x]

contact metamorphism (n.) metamorphism as a result of a high geothermal gradient produced locally around intruding magma. Contact metamorphism is usually restricted to relatively shallow depths (low pressure) in the Earth because it is only at shallow depths where there will be a large contrast in temperature between the intruding magma and the surrounding country rock. [x]

regional metamorphism (n.) metamorphism that occurs over broad areas of the crust. Most regionally metamorphosed rocks occur in areas that have undergone deformation during an orogenic event resulting in mountain belts that have since been eroded to expose the metamorphic rocks. [x]

[l-egypte]

April 22, 2020 | Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils

I read the Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin and Chris Jarvis, and, as the title suggests, it’s about rocks—igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic—and fossils. Throughout, references to (ancient) Egypt were made.

For example,

A mushroom rock, of chalk, can be found in Egypt’s White Desert. A mushroom rock is created by erosion, typically wind erosion in deserts. “Abrasion by wind-borne grains of sand is most prevalent within the first three feet ... above the ground, causing the bases of outcrops to erode more rapidly than their tops” (Wikipedia). You can see a 360-degree view of the mushroom rock in the White Desert here: https://www.360cities.net/image/mushroom-rock-white-desert-egypt. I also found an article on “Egypt’s White Desert, a natural museum of chalk rock sculptures.”

The pyramids, of course, are made of rock, specifically limestone and granite, which were transported from the south all the way to Giza via the Nile river.

[Pages from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019)]

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.cmlxx)

Words taken from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

ammolite (n.) the brilliantly coloured opalescent fossilized shell of an ammonite, found only in southern Alberta, used as a precious gem.

chatoyant (adj.) having a changeable luster or color with an undulating narrow band of white light. [x]

conchiolin (n.) a scleroprotein forming the organic basis of mollusk shells (as mother-of-pearl). [x]

moganite (n.) an oxide mineral with the chemical formula SiO2 (silicon dioxide). [x]

orthorhombic (adj.) mineral. (of a crystal) characterized by three mutually perpendicular axes, which are unequal in length, as in topaz and talc.

tarnish (v.) lessen or destroy the lustre of (metal etc.).

continental crust (n.) the two-layered, hard portion of the earth’s surface, which underlies and forms the large land masses and continental shelves.

oceanic crust (n.) the outermost layer of Earth’s lithosphere that is found under the oceans and formed at spreading centres on oceanic ridges, which occur at divergent plate boundaries. [x]

subduction zone (n.) geology. a long narrow region containing a trench through which a descending plate of the earth’s crust is assimilated into the mantle during subduction.

transform boundary (n.) the location where two plates slide past one another. The fracture zone that forms a transform plate boundary is known as a transform fault. [x]

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.cmlxvii)

Words taken from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

mineral (n.) a substance that occurs naturally in the earth and is not formed from animal or vegetable matter.

manganese (n.) chemistry. a grey brittle metallic transition element used with steel to make alloys.

silicon, Si (n.) chemistry. a non-metallic element occurring abundantly in the earth’s crust in oxides and silicates, used in electronic components for its semiconducting properties, as well as in the manufacture of glass.

lithium, Li (n.) chemistry. a soft silver-white metallic element, the lightest metal, used in alloys and in batteries.

sodium, Na (n.) chemistry. a soft silver-white reactive metallic element, occurring naturally in soda, salt, etc., that is important in industry and is an essential element in living organisms.

oxygen, O (n.) chemistry. a colourless, tasteless, odourless, gaseous element, occurring naturally in air, water, and most minerals and organic substances, and essential to plant and animal life.

mineraloid (n.) a naturally occurring mineral-like substance that does not demonstrate crystallinity. [x]

evaporite (n.) geology. a natural salt or mineral deposit formed by evaporation of water.

clint (n.) (1) chiefly Scottish. a hard or flinty rock;  a rocky cliff;  a projecting rock or ledge. (2) dialectal, England. a crevice or gully in limestone rocks. [x]

kyanite (n.) a crystalline mineral of aluminum silicate, usually blue, greenish, or colourless.

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.cmxxxi)

Words taken from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

fossil (n.) the remains or impression of a prehistoric plant or animal, usually petrified while embedded in rock, amber, etc.

paleontologist (n.) a scientist who specializes in the study of life forms that existed in previous geologic periods, as represented by their fossils. [x]

species (n.) biology. a group of living organisms consisting of related similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding, classified as a taxonomic rank below a genus and denoted by a Latin binomial.

stromatolite (n.) biology. a mound built up of layers of blue-green algae and trapped sediment, found in lagoons in Australasia and fossilized in Precambrian rocks elsewhere.

sauropod (n.) any of a group of plant-eating dinosaurs with a long neck and tail and four thick limbs.

mollusk (n.) any invertebrate of the phylum Mollusca, with a soft body and usually a hard shell, including limpets, snails, cuttlefish, oysters, mussels, etc.

mammoth (n.)  any large extinct elephant of the genus Mammuthus, with a hairy coat and curved tusks.

coelacanth (n.) a large bony marine fish, Latimeria chalumnae, formerly thought to be extinct, having a three-lobed tail fin and fleshy pectoral fins.

forelimb (n.) any of the front limbs of an animal.

phonolite (n.) a fine-grained volcanic rock composed of alkali feldspars and nepheline.

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.cmxlvii)

Words taken from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

chlorite (n.) mineralogy. a dark green mineral found in many rocks, consisting of a basic aluminosilicate of magnesium, iron, etc.

fluorine, F (n.) a poisonous, pale yellow gaseous element of the halogen group occurring naturally in fluorite and cryolite, and the most reactive of all elements.

fossil fuel (n.) a natural fuel such as coal or gas formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.

magnesium, Mg (n.) a silvery metallic element occurring naturally in magnesite and dolomite, used for making light alloys and important as an essential element in living organisms.

cement (n.) a powdery substance made by calcining lime and clay, mixed with water to form mortar or used in concrete.

cementation (n.) the act or process of cementing or being cemented.

seabed (n.) = sea floor.

mottle (v.) mark with spots or smears of colour.

photosynthesis (n.) the process in which the energy of sunlight is used by organisms, especially green plants to synthesize carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water.

swamp (n.) a tract of low-lying ground in which water collects; an area of waterlogged ground; a bog or marsh.

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.dccclxxviii)

Words related to igneous rocks taken from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

dunite (n.) a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock consisting largely of olivine.

tuff (n.) rock formed by the consolidation of volcanic ash.

andesite (n.) a fine-grained brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock.

aphanitic (adj.) of or relating to an igneous rock in which the crystals are so fine that individual minerals cannot be distinguished with the naked eye. [x]

larvikite (n.) an alkali-syenite rock composed chiefly of cryptoperthite or anorthoclase in rhombic crystals and widely used as an ornamental building stone. [x]

pyroclastic (adj.) of or formed from fragments of rock from a volcanic eruption.

porphyritic (adj.) geology. relating to or denoting a rock texture, typically found in volcanic rocks, containing distinct crystals or crystalline particles embedded in a fine-grained groundmass.

phaneritic (adj.) of or relating to an igneous rock in which the crystals are so coarse that individual minerals can be distinguished with the naked eye. Phaneritic rocks are intrusive rocks that cooled slowly enough to allow significant crystal growth.

pegmatitic (adj.) of a texture in which the mineral grains are exceptionally large. The largest ones are, by convention, more than about 3 cm long. This texture is found in intrusive rocks. [x]

glassy (adj.) of a vitreous texture that occurs during some volcanic eruptions when the lava is quenched so rapidly that crystallization cannot occur. The result is a natural amorphous glass with few or no crystals. [x]

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.dcccxxiv)

Words related to crystals taken from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

borax (n.) the mineral salt sodium borate, occurring in alkaline deposits as an efflorescence or as crystals.

taaffeite (n.) a mineral, named after its discoverer Richard Taaffe (1898–1967) who found the first sample, a cut and polished gem, in October 1945 in a jeweler's shop in Dublin, Ireland

painite (n.) a very rare borate mineral. It was first found in Myanmar by British mineralogist and gem dealer Arthur C. D. Pain who misidentified it as ruby, until it was discovered as a new gemstone in the 1950s. When it was confirmed as a new mineral species, the mineral was named after him.

alexandrite (n.) a gem variety of chrysoberyl that appears green in daylight and red in artificial light.

grandidierite (n.) a rare mineral that was first discovered in 1902 in southern Madagascar. The mineral was named in honor of French explorer Alfred Grandidier (1836–1912) who studied the natural history of Madagascar. [x]

fluorite (n.) a mineral form of calcium fluoride.

biotite (n.) a black, dark brown, or green micaceous mineral occurring as a constituent of metamorphic and igneous rocks.

illite (n.) a group of closely related non-expanding clay minerals. Illite is a secondary mineral precipitate and an example of a phyllosilicate or layered alumino-silicate. [x]

aragonite (n.) a form of calcium carbonate, harder and denser than calcite, occurring around hot springs and geysers, in pearls, and in the shells of molluscs.

lazurite (n.) a bright blue mineral that is the main constituent of lapis lazuli and consists chiefly of a silicate and sulfate of sodium and aluminum.

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.mxcvii)

Words taken from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

Andes a major mountain system running the length of the Pacific coast of South America. It extends over some 8,000 km, with a continuous height of more than 3,000 m.

Burgess Shale (n.) a block of shale in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, unique in having fossil remains of over 140 invertebrate species.

Carpathian Mountains a mountain system extending southeastward from south Poland and Slovakia into Ukraine and Romania. 

Gryposaurus (n.) a genus of duckbilled dinosaur that lived about 80 to 75 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous (late Santonian to late Campanian stages) of North America. [x]

Laetoli a well-known palaeontological locality in northern Tanzania whose outstanding record includes the earliest hominin footprints in the world (3.66 million years old), discovered in 1978 at Site G and attributed to Australopithecus afarensis. [x]

Myanmar the official name (since 1989) for Burma.

oolite (n.) a sedimentary rock, usually limestone, consisting of rounded grains made up of concentric layers.

Placenticeras (n.) a genus of ammonites from the Late Cretaceous. [x]

splodge (n.) British informal. = splotch.

Vanuatu a country consisting of a group of islands in the southwest Pacific; capital: Vila. Formerly called the New Hebrides.

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.mxlvii)

Words taken from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

bore (v.) make a hole in, especially with a revolving tool.

caldera (n.) a large volcanic crater, especially one whose breadth greatly exceeds that of the vent or vents within it, created by a volcanic explosion.

foraminifer (n.) any protozoan of the order Foraminifera, having a perforated shell through which amoeba-like pseudopodia emerge.

hydraulic fracturing (n.) = fracking: the injection of fluid into shale beds at high pressure in order to free up petroleum resources (such as oil or natural gas). [x, y]

mandala (n.) a symbolic circular figure representing the universe in Hinduism and Buddhism.

peridot (n.) a green variety of olivine, used especially as a semi-precious stone.

pheasant (n.) any of several long-tailed game birds of the family Phasianidae, originally from Asia.

pterosaur (n.) any of a group of extinct flying reptiles with large bat-like wings, including pterodactyls. 

Smilodon (n.) a genus of saber-toothed cats (subfamily Machairodontinae) of the Pliocene and Pleistocene usually attaining the size of a tiger or lion and having upper canines that extend 7 inches (18 centimeters) or more below the lower jaw and a gape of usually greater than 90 degrees. [x]

unakite (n.) an altered igneous rock that is usually opaque with green, black, pink, and white flecks and is usually used as a gemstone. [x]

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.cmlxxi)

Words taken from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

trough (n.) a long narrow open receptacle for water, animal feed, etc.

ice age (n.) a period when ice sheets were particularly extensive, especially in the Pleistocene epoch.

glacier (n.) a slow-moving mass or river of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow on mountains or in areas of prolonged cold climate.

erg (n.) an area of shifting desert sand dunes, especially in the Sahara.

stratovolcano (n.) a volcano built up of alternate layers of lava and ash.

fissure (n.) an opening, usually long and narrow, made by cracking, splitting, or separation of especially rock or ice.

rockfall (n.) a descent of loose rocks.

petrified (adj.) converted into stone through a slow process of mineralization. [x]

cycad (n.) any of the palm-like plants of the order Cycadales (including fossil forms) inhabiting tropical and subtropical regions and often growing to a great height.

volcano (n.) a mountain or hill having an opening or openings in the earth’s crust through which lava, cinders, steam, gases, etc. are or have been expelled continuously or at intervals.

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.cmlxix)

Words taken from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

sediment (n.) matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid; dregs.

carbon dioxide, CO2 (n.) a colourless odourless gas occurring naturally in the atmosphere and formed by respiration.

tectonic (adj.) geology. relating to the deformation of the earth’s crust or to the structural changes caused by this.

dyke/dike (n.) a long wall or embankment built to prevent flooding.

recrystallization (n.) a technique for the purification of chemical compounds in which the compound is dissolved in a solvent and slowly cooled to form crystals. [x]

pisolite (n.) a limestone composed of pisiform concretions. [x]

breccia (n.) a rock of angular stones etc. cemented by finer material.

gully (n.) a small ravine, especially formed by water after heavy rain.

gem (n.) a precious stone, especially when cut and polished or engraved.

spinel (n.) any of a group of hard crystalline minerals of various colours, consisting chiefly of oxides of magnesium and aluminum.

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.dcccxliii)

Words taken from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

laccolith (n.) geology. a lens-shaped intrusion of igneous rock that thrusts the overlaying strata into a dome.

lopolith (n.) a mass of igneous rock similar to a laccolith but concave downward rather than upward. [x]

olivine (n.) a naturally occurring form of magnesium-iron silicate, usually olive green and found in igneous rocks.

grike (n.) an opening in rock widened by natural forces (as weathering or solution).

talcum powder (n.) a preparation of powdered talc, usually scented or medicated for general cosmetic use.

metasomatism (n.) geology. change in the composition of a rock as a result of the introduction or removal of chemical constituents.

beryllium, Be (n.) chemistry. a hard white metallic element used in the manufacture of light corrosion-resistant alloys.

ooid (n.) a small calcium carbonate or iron coated grain found on the seafloor.

seam (n.) a stratum of coal etc.

puddingstone (n.) a conglomerate rock in which dark-coloured rounded pebbles contrast with a paler fine-grained matrix.

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.cmxlviii)

Words taken from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

crystallization (n.) the act or process of crystallizing. [x]

carbonate (n.) chemical. a salt of carbonic acid.

mineralogist (n.) someone who studies minerals. [x]

hydrothermal (adj.) of or relating to the action of heated water in the earth’s crust.

groundwater (n.) water held in soil or rock, especially that below the water table.

halide (n.) chemistry. a binary compound of a halogen with another group or element.

inclusion (n.) a body or particle distinct from the substance in which it is embedded, especially a solid fragment or globule of liquid or gas enclosed within a rock or mineral.

tetragonal (n.) mineralogy. belonging to or being a crystal system in which there are three mutually perpendicular crystallographic axes, two being equal and the third of a different length.

monoclinic (adj.) (of a crystal) having one axial intersection oblique.

triclinic (adj.) (of a mineral) forming crystals having three unequal axes, all obliquely inclined.

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.cmxxxix)

Words taken from Children’s Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

mudstone (n.) a dark clay rock.

emerald (n.) a bright green precious stone, a variety of beryl.

sapphire (n.) a transparent blue precious stone consisting of corundum.

ruby (n.) a rare precious stone consisting of corundum with a colour varying from deep crimson or purple to pale rose.

migmatite (n.) a metamorphic rock formed by anatexis that is generally heterogeneous and preserves evidence of partial melting at the microscopic to macroscopic scale. [x]

leucosome (n.) a coarse-grained, quartzofeldspathic vein, varying in thickness from a few centimetres to a metre or two, and found as a high-grade metamorphic product in rocks of pelitic to psammitic composition. [x]

melanosome (n.) a melanin-containing organelle found in melanocytes and melanophores. [x]

amphibole (n.) any of a class of rock-forming silicate and aluminosilicate minerals with fibrous or columnar crystals.

impactite (n.) a glassy object produced by fusion of rock or meteoritic fragments by the heat developed from the impact of a meteorite on the earth’s surface. [x]

suevite (n.) a rock consisting partly of melted material, typically forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments, formed during an impact event. [x]

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.dcccxxviii)

Words taken from Children's Encyclopedia of Rocks and Fossils (2019) by Claudia Martin:

mother of pearl (n.) a smooth iridescent substance forming the inner later of the shell of some molluscs.

coral (n.) a hard calcareous substance secreted by various marine polyps for support and habitation, and occurring in both single specimens and vast accumulation.

nacre (n.) = mother-of-pearl.

jet (n.) a hard black variety of lignite capable of being carved and highly polished.

Corallium (n.) a genus of marine corals. The distinguishing characteristic of precious corals is their durable and intensely colored red or pink-orange skeleton, which is used for making jewellery. [x]

tortoiseshell (n.) the yellowish-brown mottled or clouded outer shell of some turtles, used for decorative combs, jewellery, etc.

hawksbill turtle (n.) a small turtle of tropical seas with hooked jaws, Eretmochelys imbricata, yielding tortoiseshell.

crocidolite (n.) a fibrous blue or green silicate of iron and sodium; blue asbestos. 

cabochon (n.) a convex gem polished but not faceted.

opal (n.) a quartz-like form of hydrated silica, usually white or colourless and sometimes showing changing colours, often used as a gemstone.