geological process
physical process that pertains to Earth
abrasion
process of wearing down or wearing away of rocks by the hard particles carried by rivers, glaciers, wind and waves
marine regression
geological process of areas of submerged seafloor being exposed above the sea level.
sedimentation
depositing / withdrawal of particles from fluids or gases under the influence of gravity or the centrifugal force
convergent boundary
area where two tectonic plate collide
consolidation
process by which soils decrease in volume
exhumation
process by which a parcel of rock approaches Earth's surface;explicitly measured relative to the surface of the Earth, rather than with reference to some absolute reference frame, such as the Earth's geoid; almost a synonym for denudation
perturbation
natural processes relating to changes in the nature of water-borne alluvial sediments and in situ soil deposits over time
marine transgression
geologic event
fractional crystallization
geochemical process in which magma evolves in composition because different minerals crystallize and drop away from the melt at different temperatures
ingression
geological process
sediment burial
geological process in which sediment and later rock buried by the deposition of new sediments on top
polar drift
geological phenomenon resulting in shifts in the magnetic poles
diagenesis
change of sediments or existing sedimentary rocks into a different sedimentary rock
isostasy
state of gravitational equilibrium between Earth's crust and mantle
aggradation
increase in land elevation due to the deposition of sediment
Underplating
accumulation of partial melts at the base of the crust where an ocean plate is subducting under continental crust
surface subsidence
the motion of a surface (usually, the Earth's surface) as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level
epeirogeny
upheavals or depressions of land exhibiting long wavelengths and little folding
supergene process
near-surface enrichment of minerals
mineralization
in geology, process resulting in the formation of minerals
scarp retreat
geological process
hypogene process
processes related to mineral deposit formation deep below the Earth's surface
paramorphism
geological process
sector collapse
collapse of a volcano
land loss
process of land area being converted to water, whether by erosion, subsidence, or water level rise
extrusion
geological process
tectonics
processes that control the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time
magmatism
emplacement of magma within and at the surface of the outer layers of a terrestrial planet, which solidifies as igneous rocks
magmatism
emplacement of magma within and at the surface of the outer layers of a terrestrial planet, which solidifies as igneous rocks
degradation
lowering of a fluvial surface, such as a stream bed or floodplain, through erosional processes
Post-orogenic collapse
geophysical process
deformation
changes to earth material brought about by volcanic activity
subduction
geological process at tectonic plate boundaries
orogeny
formation of mountain ranges at convergent plate boundaries
igneous differentiation
processes by which magmas undergo bulk chemical change during the partial melting process, cooling, emplacement, or eruption
volcanism
phenomena and processes associated with the action of volcanos, geysers and fumaroles
compaction
geological process by which a sediment progressively loses its porosity due to the effects of pressure from loading
accretion
process by which material is added to a tectonic plate or a landmass
diastrophism
plastic deformation of the lithosphere
dolomitization
geological process
ablation
geological process
sediment transport
movement of solid particles, typically by gravity and fluid entrainment
magma degassing
geological process
transform boundary
plate boundary where the motion is predominantly horizontal
mantle plume
upwelling of abnormally hot rock within the Earth's mantle