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Concept
Sedimentary rocks are formed from the accumulation and lithification of mineral and organic particles on the Earth's surface, often in bodies of water. They are crucial for understanding Earth's history as they contain fossils and are indicators of past environments and climate conditions.
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Concept
Folding refers to the process of transforming a flexible material or structure into a compact form through a series of bends or creases, often enhancing its functionality or storage efficiency. This concept is fundamental in various fields, including biology, engineering, and mathematics, where it aids in understanding protein structures, designing origami-inspired technology, and solving complex geometrical problems.
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Faulting is the process by which rocks break and slide along a fracture, creating a fault, due to tectonic forces. It plays a crucial role in shaping the Earth's crust and is a primary mechanism behind earthquakes.
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Mountain building, or orogeny, is the geological process by which tectonic plate movements and volcanic activity create mountain ranges. This process involves complex interactions between the Earth's crust and mantle, resulting in the uplift, folding, and faulting of rock layers over millions of years.
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Concept
Stratigraphy is the branch of geology concerned with the study of rock layers (strata) and layering, crucial for understanding Earth's history and the sequence of geological events. It provides a framework for reconstructing past environments, correlating rock layers across regions, and dating geological formations through relative and absolute methods.
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Plate tectonics is the scientific theory explaining the movement of Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath. This movement is responsible for major geological phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain building, and oceanic trench formation.
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Erosion is the process by which natural forces like water, wind, and ice wear away rocks and soil, gradually transporting them from one location to another. This geological phenomenon plays a crucial role in shaping landscapes, influencing ecosystems, and impacting human activities such as agriculture and construction.
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Deposition is a geological and legal term referring to the process of material being added to a landform or the process of giving sworn evidence out of court. In geology, it involves the accumulation of sediments, while in law, it is a witness's sworn out-of-court testimony used to gather information before a trial.
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An angular unconformity is a geological feature where younger sedimentary layers are deposited on the eroded and tilted or folded layers of older rocks, indicating a significant gap in the geological record. This feature provides crucial evidence of past tectonic activity, erosion, and changes in depositional environments over geological time scales.
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