Ch 6a: Hydrosphere Flashcards

1
Q

Define hydrologic cycle

A

Natural cycle of water movement at or near the surface of the Earth

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2
Q

Energy from gas to liquid

A

energy is released

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3
Q

Energy from liquid to gas

A

energy absorbed

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4
Q

Melting & Freezing do not take as much energy as

A

Phase change from liquid to gas

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5
Q

Define Latent heat

A

Amount of energy that is locked up in the system during phase change

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6
Q

Phase Change either

A

requires energy or lose energy

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7
Q

Characteristic of Water

A

bond mainly covalent but electron spend more time near oxygen due to polarity

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8
Q

Water is what kind of fluid

A

miscible fluid: excellent solvent for ionic and polar substances

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9
Q

Surface water:

A

rivers, lakes

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10
Q

Surface water is the ____ of the reservoirs

A

smallest but most visible

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11
Q

Surface water is a major

A

modifier of the landscape, largest natural movement of matter and sediments. Used to build deltas

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12
Q

Un-channeled flow is

A

overland or sheet flow

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13
Q

Channeled flow is

A

streams

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14
Q

River Systems:

A

streams are organized in river systems, tributaries typically merge downstream.

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15
Q

Define tributaries

A

river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake

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16
Q

Drainage basin:

A

area drained by a major river, separated by drainage divides

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17
Q

Drainage Styles depends on…

A

depends on topography and geology of the drainage area

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18
Q

Drainage Styles:

A

Dendritic, radial, rectangular, trellis

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19
Q

Drainage styles: dendritic

A

tree-like branching pattern, typical of terrains with uniform bedrock, stratified sedimentary or massive rocks

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20
Q

Drainage styles: radial

A

radial pattern, away from a central high point. eg. volcano

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21
Q

Drainage styles: rectangular

A

Follows 2 directions, at right angles, mimics pre-existing fractures of joint sets in bedrock, not much sedimentary rock

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22
Q

Drainage styles: Trellis

A

parallel stream systems, develop in valley and ridge terrain

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23
Q

Distributary

A

referred to as channels, root like

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24
Q

Characteristics of stream flow:

streams show variability in

A

gradient, velocity, discharge

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25
Q

Stream Flow Char: Velocity

A

velocity of flow varies within channel, slowest at base and sides, viscous drag

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26
Q

Stream Flow Char: Discharge

A

Volume of water passing a given point in unit time. Q = A* Vavg

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27
Q

Stream Flow Char: Gradient

A

Gradient decreases, steeper at the beginning and shallows out at the bottom

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28
Q

Sediment Transport

A

Competence and capacity of the stream depends on fluid velocity.

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29
Q

Methods of sediment movement

A

suspension, rolling and sliding on the bed (creep), saltation

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30
Q

Load types:

A

suspended load, bed load, dissolved load

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31
Q

Load types: suspended load

A

mainly silts and clays, some saltation of sand. will flow

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32
Q

Load types: bed load

A

coarsest material, movement through creep, traction or saltation

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33
Q

Load types: dissolved load

A

suspension, ions in solution

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34
Q

Downstream variation in sediment

A

net effect: downstream fining.

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35
Q

Downstream variation in sediment: suspended load

A

deposited when velocity drops

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36
Q

Downstream variation in sediment: dissolved load

A

typically carried to sea and precipitated out. eg. limestone or salt. Deposited as non-clastic sediment

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37
Q

what are Channel Patterns, and what do the types depends on

A

typically carve V-shaped valleys, the type depends on the channel shape and number of internal channels

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38
Q

Channel Patterns types:

A

straight, braided, meandering, anatastomosing

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39
Q

Channel Patterns: straight

A

single channels with low sinuosity. Characteristic of: young streams, areas with steep gradients

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40
Q

Channel Patterns: Braided

A

several small channels that join, low sinuosity, channels separate by islands or river bars of coarse materials

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41
Q

Channel Patterns: anastomosing

A

similar to braided, multiple channels within a larger channel, gradient is low, lots of finer sediments, lots of vegetation, steep, stable sides

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42
Q

Channel patterns: meandering

A

single channels, high sinuosity, older streams and areas with low gradients, sediment supply low to moderate and fine grained

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43
Q

Meandering migration

A

meander loops migrate downstream, highest velocity at the outside of the curve, lower velocity on the inside. Sinuosity increases with time

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44
Q

Meander loops: outside of the curve

A

higher velocity leads to erosion (cutbanks, thalwegs)

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45
Q

Meander loops: inside of the curve

A

lowest velocity leads to deposition (point bars)

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46
Q

Floodplain

A

typically alternating beds of silt and clay, grain size decreases away from the channel. bigger pieces of sediment rests near the edge

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47
Q

Flooding rivers

A

occurs when river level exceeds the channel banks

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48
Q

Terraces

A

former floodplains, pair or unpaired, result of stream incision and regional uplift

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49
Q

Alluvial Fans

A

Large, fan-shaped accumulations. Along the flank of a mountain, drier climates, form when channel opens into a valley or plain

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50
Q

Deltas

A

roughly triangular shaped deposits, form when a stream enters a standing body of water (Ocean/Lake). River may become divided into distributaries

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51
Q

Lakes

A

Standing bodies of water, many ways to form them. In general, an obstacle to flow is necessary. Most are geologically short-lived.

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52
Q

Open Lakes

A

inlet and outlet streams, water level tends to stay constant in short term, sediments are typically muds, with sands near shore

53
Q

Closed Lakes

A

no stream outlet, water level fluctuates due to evaporation, sediments typically include salt deposits formed by evaporation

54
Q

Ground water

A

groundwater: free water in pore spaces within solid earth. Probably less than 1% of Earth’s water. Total amount uncertain especially at depth

55
Q

Water table: Vadose Zone

A

Unsaturated sediment, overlies the water table, gravity driven

56
Q

Water table: Phreatic Zone

A

saturated sediments, pressure driver

57
Q

Porosity:

A

amount of empty space within a rock or sediment, usually expressed as % by volume.

58
Q

Permeabiltiy

A

measure of the ease with which fluid can flow through a rock, depends on: porosity, size of pore spaces, connectedness of pores

59
Q

Aquifier

A

permeable unit with moderate to high flow rates

60
Q

Aquitard

A

retards or slows water flow, flow rate depends on permeability and porosity

61
Q

Springs

A

When the water table intersects the slope

62
Q

Karst Topography

A

unique landscape found in areas with limestone. Chemical weathering turns in solutions

63
Q

Stalactites are

A

on top

64
Q

Stalagmites are

A

on ground

65
Q

Distribution of snow

A

annual snow line marks boundary of areas that have snow year-round.

66
Q

Properties of Ice

A

water expands as it freezes. An unusual mineral, open crystal lattice, lower density than liquid form.

67
Q

Glacier (glacial ice)

A

land-based, mass of ice and snow. Normally moves down hill, survives from year to year, covers about 10% of the Earth’s surface, major modifier of the land surface. A lot of debris in glacier ice.

68
Q

Glaciers are classified by:

A

location, size and shape, basal properties

69
Q

Alpine

A

valley glaciers, ice accumulated in mountain valleys, may produce icebergs (calving) in water. eg. Cirque Glacier, melts –> tern

70
Q

Continental Glaciers

A

huge masses, slow moving, very thick ice, radial movement, not confined to valleys, aka ice sheets and ice caps. eg. Antarctica ice sheets, 90% of the world’s ice, thick 3000m, 35 ma old

71
Q

Transformation of snow to ice

A

snow flakes buried by successive snowfall. Summer melting (neve) pressure of the overlying snow, if the snow survives summer melting, further burial. Further compaction. Snow - granular ice - glacial ice (must be over a year).

72
Q

Glaciers act as

A

environmental records

73
Q

ice is typically finely layered; clean ice layers …

A

clean ice layers represent winter snowfall, dusty layers represent relatively dry summer

74
Q

Ice also traps atmosphere gases, pollen

A

environmental records, internal structure of glaciers: temperature profile

75
Q

Polar Glacier:

A

below freezing point throughout

76
Q

Temperature Glacier:

A

temperate glacier is close to freezing point and has liquid water at base

77
Q

Glacier Growth

A

glaciers are always growing and moving, glacial budgets.

78
Q

Glacier appearance depends on:

A

accumulation, ablation

79
Q

Accumulation:

A

addition of mass to a glacier

80
Q

Ablation:

A

removal of mass from a glacier: melting, sublimation, iceberg calving, wind erosion. Above equilibrium line: more accumulation. Below equilibrium line: more ablation.

81
Q

Glacial Flow Mechanisms

A

ice crystals deform under stress, continued deformation produces alignment. Plastic flow

82
Q

Plastic Flow:

A

ductile, mobile, material acts like asthenosphere lower down, brittle at top like lithosphere.

83
Q

Basal Slip

A

sliding of a glacier along its base, presence of water. The more water at the base, the faster it can move.

84
Q

Basal ice temperature

A

Above the ‘pressure melting point’ of ice.

85
Q

If the speed of a glacier increases…

A

it indicates something about the stability

86
Q

Flow rates within glacier

A

Flow is fastest in upper center, slowest at edges.

87
Q

Flow rates: temperate glacier

A

plastic flow and basal slip. Temperate = bottom is moving added flow from the top

88
Q

Flow rates: polar glaciers

A

Frozen onto bedrock, no basal slip. Moves like staircases throughout layers. Fastest speeds at 2/3 from the base and in the middle of the channel.

89
Q

Lakes beneath ice

A

Antarctica 1996, Lake Vostok, 200 km long, 14000 km^2

90
Q

Crevasses form from:

A

Movement around or over obstacles: stresses the ice, forms crevasses. Most ice moves by plastic flow, upper 50m does not.

91
Q

Surging Glaciers

A

typical of temperate (warm) and valley. Movement is downhill, rate of movement varies. Surges are sudden increases in speed.

92
Q

Ice as an agent of change

A

Eroding and breaking up material, transporting it.

93
Q

Erosions and Landforms: erosion

A

Debris laden ice erodes through: abrasion, attrition.

94
Q

Erosions and Landforms: rock flour

A

can be blown around as dust (loess: wind blown silt) washed down into lakes.

95
Q

Flutes:

A

ridge, backwards grooves: can be erosional or depositional

96
Q

Grooves:

A

polished striations

97
Q

Striations:

A

Tells directions

98
Q

Horns formed from:

A

3 more aretes

99
Q

Aretes:

A

thin ridges (cirque glacier)

100
Q

Generic definitions (nongenetic)

A

descriptive

101
Q

Genetic definitions:

A

specific

102
Q

Deposition can be deposited from:

A

ice, by meltwater, proximal in glacial lakes

103
Q

Sedimentation directly from ice:

A

till/diamict, moraines, erratics

104
Q

Diamict:

A

nongenetic term, unconsolidated, poorly sorted sediments

105
Q

Till:

A

Genetic term, specific on how it formed, deposited by ice with little or no reworking by water

106
Q

Terminal Moraine:

A

furtherest end moraine

107
Q

Lateral Moraine:

A

only exist in mountain glacier, material off to the side, can only be mapped when the ice is still there.

108
Q

Erratics:

A

left over boulders from glaciers

109
Q

Drumlins

A

Teardrop shaped hill indicating direction of glacial movement

110
Q

Waterlain Deposits:

A

can occur on top, within or beneath the glacier as the glacier is melting.

111
Q

Waterlain deposits: typical landforms

A

outwash plain, eskers, crevasse fillings, kames(&kettles), stagnation moraine.

112
Q

Eskers:

A

long, narrow, sinuous ridges. Mainly composed of sand and gravel

113
Q

Kames:

A

Conical hills or sand or gravel deposited on or adjacent to glacial ice

114
Q

Kettles:

A

ponds or depressions left by melting masses of glacial ice

115
Q

Glacial Lake examples:

A

Lake Agassiz, Lake Edmonton

116
Q

Glacial lake sediments:

A

sorting increases away from the ice contact: ice rafted debris, debris flows, varves

117
Q

Zones of sea ice

A

Perennial vs seasonal ice zones

118
Q

Movement of sea ice:

A

typically moves several km per day.

119
Q

Sea ice may..

A

May crack producing leads of open water.

120
Q

Leads may …

A

freeze to make a complex mosaic.

121
Q

Convergence of ice masses produces:

A

pressure ridges

122
Q

Polynyas

A

large openings in sea ice

123
Q

Global significance of sea ice: ocean circulation

A

salt extrusion as sea ice freezes: cold salty water is denser, flows down into deep ocean basins driving deep ocean circulation

124
Q

Global significance of sea ice: global climate

A

sea ice has a high albedo: reflects light and heat, contributes to coldness of arctic regions

125
Q

Permafrost:

A

covers 50% of canada, 25% of the Earth’s land surface.

126
Q

Permafrost: active layer

A

Active layer: upper layer of soil that thaws every year.

127
Q

Permafrost information:

A

restrictive in terms of climate, northern and alpine region, 1500 m thick in Siberia, 1000 m thick in Canadian arctic.

128
Q

Define Permafrost:

A

soil or rock that remains at or below 0degress for at least 2 years –> frozen.