Glossary

A

-Absolute dating: Dating method that provides a precise age in years, often through radioactivity.

B

-Belemnites: Fossil marine mollusks with elongated shells, dating from the Jurassic period.

-Black earth: Black geological formation rich in organic matter.

C

-Crystallographer: Scientist specializing in the study of crystal structures.

-Cuvier's extinction theory: Hypothesis that mass extinctions explain the disappearance of fossil species.

D

-Darwin's theory of evolution: Proposition that species evolve through natural selection.

G

-Geomorphology: Study of the shapes and relief features of the Earth's surface

K

-Karstology: Study of karst landscapes formed by dissolution of limestone rocks.

M

-Matilda Effect : tendency to minimize or erase the contributions of women in scientific discoveries by attributing their work to men

-Micromorphology: Study of small-scale structures in materials, especially soils.

P

-Pedology: Science of soils, including their formation and classification.

-Petrochemistry: Study of the chemical composition of rocks.

-Petrography: Science describing and classifying rocks.

-Polonium: Radioactive element formerly used in research, discovered by Marie Curie.

-Principle of superposition: In stratigraphy, younger layers rest upon older ones.

R

-Radium: Radioactive element discovered by Marie Curie.

-Radiotherapy: Medical treatment using ionizing radiation.

-Relative dating: Technique that orders geological events chronologically without giving exact ages.

S

-Sedimentology : Study of sediments and the processes of their deposition.

-Sedimentary rock : Rock formed by the accumulation and cementation of sediments.

-Sedimentary sequence : Coherent set of sediment layers forming a geological unit.

-Stratigraphic method : Dating method based on the order of soil or sediment layers.

T

-Thermoluminescence: Dating method based on light emitted by heated minerals.