Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is geomorphology?
Science of landform origin, evolution, form, and spatial distribution
What is denudation?
Process that wear away or rearrange landforms; processes include weathering, mass movement, erosion, transportation, and deposition
What does geomorphology deal with on a global or continental scale?
major features of the surface of the Earth (continents, mountain systems)
What does geomorphology deal with on a regional scale?
intermediate forms (individual mountain ranges, hill ranges, river basins, etc)
What does geomorphology deal with on a local scale?
individual features of conventional ‘scenery’ (rivers, hill slopes, beaches, glaciers)
How old are cratons?
2+ billion years of age
What is the correct order of ERAs from oldest to newest?
Precambrian –> Paleozoic –> Mesozoic –> Cenozoic
What is the correct order of Paleozoic periods from oldest to newest?
Cambrian –> Ordovician –> Silurian –> Devonian –> Carboniferous –> Permian
What is the correct order of Mesozoic periods from the oldest to newest?
Triassic –> Jurassic –> Cretaceous
Approximately how old is the Holocene?
Present - 11,000 Years
Approximately how long ago did the Pleistocene start?
~2 million years ago
What are Milankovitch cycles?
different cycles that affect the Earth’s orientation to the sun
What is a recurrence interval?
Estimated time between events
Why is oceanic crust denser than continental crust?
Oceanic crust has denser magnesium and iron; basaltic
Which has more silica, oceanic or continental crust?
Continental crust
What is the correct order of Earth’s layers from the center to the surface?
Inner core –> Outer core –> lower mantle –> upper mantle –> uppermost mantle –> crust
Why is the asthenosphere called the “plastic layer”?
It is the least rigid region of the mantle
How long ago did Pangaea exist?
~200-225 Million years ago
What are the types of plate boundaries?
Divergent, Convergent, Transform
What is subduction?
When one plate is forced under another towards the mantle
What kind of plate boundary is most associated with mid-oceanic ridges?
Divergent
Subduction is most associated with what plate boundary?
Convergent
What type of plate boundary produces the most powerful earthquakes?
Transform
What is infiltration capacity?
rate at which the soil can absorb the water
What is field capacity?
how much water the soil is actually able to hold via capillary action
How is infiltration different from percolation?
Infiltration is the surface of the soil absorbing the water
Percolation is how the water moves down the soil and rocks
What is evapotranspiration?
sum total of moisture returned to the atmosphere by evaporation from open water and moist surfaces; evaporation and transportation
When does a place have a moisture deficit?
When potential evapotranspiration is greater than the actual evapotranspiration happening
What is dynamic equilibrium?
balance among force, form, and process
