chapter 27 Flashcards
weathering
the process the invloves th physical or chemical of materials on the earths surface
soil
is a mixture of weathered rock, organic matter, water, and air that is capable of supporting plant life
erosion
the removal of surface material through the process of weathering
weathering definition
the process that invloves physical or chemical breakdown of materials on earth’s surface
do rocks weather at the same rate?
no they weather different
what are the two main factors that determine how fast a rock will weather?
rock types
landscape
what are the two types of weathering?
mechanical weathering and chemical weathering
what type of changes happens with mechanical weathering?
has physical changes
what type of change happens with chemical weathering?
what chemical changes
what are the 3 specific types of mechanical weathering?
frost wedging
biological activity
collisions
what causes frost wedging?
when water collects in the cracks of a rock and then freezes
what is the cycle called during collisions?
“Freeze-Thaw Cycles”
what causes weathering during collisions?
when rocks fall from cliff
soil definition
is a mixture of weathered rock, organic matter, water, and air that is capable of supporting plant life
what is parent material?
what soil is made from
what are the 2 types of chemical weathering caused by?
oxygen and water
what is the chemical process called that is caused by oxygen?
what is the chemical process called that is called by water?
hydrolysis
what are soil horizons?
all the different layersof soil
how many soil horizons are there?
6
true or false: all soils contain every soil horizon
false
what are the specific soil horizons?
O A E B C R
what does the first soil horizon contain?
organic material
what is the second horizon mostly made up of?
minerals
what layer does leaching occur?
E
which horizon collects materials from previous horizons?
B
which layer is partially weathered bedrock?
C
which layer is unweathered bedrock?
R
which soil horizons makeup the topsoil?
O and A
which soil horizons make up the subsoil?
E and B
On which side of a sand dune does erosion occur?
windward
which side is deposition occur?
leeward
what is deflation?
the removal of small paticles by eind, leaving heavier particles behind
what is desert pavement?
when small particles are removed
what are 3 landforms that are created due to wave erosion?
coastal cliffs, sea stacks, sea arches
what are two lamd forms created by wave deposition?
sand bars and sand spits
infiltration
the process by which water enters Earth and becomes groundwater above the surface
aquifer
a rock unit that can transfer water through its pore space
water table
the upper boundary ofthe saturated zone
porosity
infiltrationoccurs as water passes through the pore spaces in sediments and rock
absolute dating
the process of assigning an exact numerical age to organism, and object, or an event.
relative dating
the process of placing objects or events in theirproper order time
uniformitarianism
states that law of nature operate today as they have in the past
principle of superposition
states that in an undisturbed sequence of sedimetary rock layers the youngest rocks willbe at the topand the oldest rocks will be onthe bottom
uncomformities
gaps in the rock record during which either erosion occured or deposition was absent
fossils
the remains or traces of organisms found in the geologic rock record
what % of water on Earth is salt water?
2
what % of water on Earth is freshwater?
1
where is the majority of freshwater found?
glaciers
what is the smallest % of saltwater found in?
found in lakes rivers and stored in ground as water
what is precipitation?
when water vapor in the air cools or condenses to form liquid or ice crystals
what is runoff?
water running off the land surface
what is infiltration?
the process by which water enters Earth and becomes groundwater below the surface
what is transpiration?
when plants release water vapor into the atmosphere through their leaves
what is evaporation?
when water enters the atnosphere as water vapor
what is condensation?
when water vapor collides with other watver vapor molecules to form other droplets
what is the water cycle?
precipitation, runoff, infiltration, transpiration, evaporation, condensation
what is an unsaturated zone for groundwater storage?
a porous area where water easily passes through
what is a saturated zone for groundwater storage?
beneath the unsaturated zones, where water complete;y fills the pore space
what is a water table?
the upper boundary of the saturated zone
wat does is it mean if sediment is permearable?
the more water easily infiltrate through the ground
what is an aquifer?
a rock unit that can transfer water through its pore space
what is the name of the great plains aquifer?
Ogallala Aquifer
how many states does the great plains aquifer run through?
8
what are the names of the sates that the great plains aquifer runs through?
South Dakota, Wyomming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas
what is an aquitard?
an impremiable layer that confines water
how are water springs formed?
where water table naturally meets earth’s surface
what is an artesian well?
wells drilled into pressurized aquifers
what is a cone of depression?
the direction that the water flows down towards the well
