chapter 27 Flashcards
weathering
is the process that involves the physical or chemical breakdown of materials on Earth’s surface
soil
is a mixture of weathered rock, organic matter, water,and air that is capable of supporting life
erosion
is the removal of a surface material through the process of weathering
sediment transport
As rocks weather, erosianal agents like water, ice wind, and gravity move eroded materials from one place to another
depositon
when the erosional agent slows down or melts, it drops the sediment load in a process
drainage basin
the land area that gathers water for a major river
longshore current
the movement of water parallel to shoreline
weathering definition
is the process of physical or chemical breakdown of materials at or near
Earth’s surface
do rocks weather at the same rate
no
what are two main factors that determine how fast a rock will
weather, climate, and time
what are two types of weathering
mechanical and chemical
what type of change happens with mechanical weathering
frost wedging and biological activity
what change happens with mechanical weathering
breaks down rocks
what are 3 specific types of mechanical weathering
frost wedging, biological activity, collisions
what causes frost wedging
water collects in the cracks of a rock and then freezes
what is the cycle called during frost wedging
plants and animals
what causes biological activity
what are two types of chemical weathering caused by
what is the chemical process called that is caused by oxygen
what is the chemical process called that is caused by water
hysdolisis
soil definition
is a mixture weathered rock, organic matter, water, and air that is capable of supporting life
what is parent material
what are soil horizons
how many soil horizons are there
6
true or false all soils contain every soil horizon
false
what does first soil horizon contain
organic material
what does the second horizon mostly made up of
mostly materials
what is the difference between weathering and erosion
weathering breaks down materials and erosion is the removal of surface material
if the slope of a river decreases what will happen to the speed of the river
it will decrease
smalls streams flow into large rivers are called
tributes
land areas that gathers water for a major water is called
a drainage basin
a boundary that separates distinct drainage basins is called
drainage divides
as water flows downhill under the influence of gravity, water erodes earths surface creating
channels
young rivers are
V-shaped due to fast movement
what rivers are wide with smooth and gentle slopes
mature rivers
what type of landform is created when rivers flood and drop their sediment load
flood plains
what is a fan shaped deposit at the mouth river
deltas
what are distributaries
branching channels created by deltas
what is formed when the mouth of a river or stream enters a dry land
aluvial fans
what are two types of glaciers
valley and continental
where do valley glaciers form
high mountainous regions
where do continental glaciers forms
colder climates and occupy large land areas
where are two continental glaciers located
Greenland and Antarctica
what is a cirque
a bowl shaped basin
what is an arete
large sharp ridge line between valley glaciers
what is a horn in a mountains region
sharpened peaks
what shape of valley do valley glacier form what are tributary glaciers
u-shaped valleys
what type of valleys do tributary glaciers form
on which side of a dune does erosion occur
windward side
what side does deposition occur on
leeward side
what is deflation
deflation is the removal of small particles by wind
what is desert pavement
when small particles are removed
the shape and sizes of landforms depends on
wind speed sediment that blows
what are three landforms
coastal cliffs, see stacks, and sea arches
what are two examples of wave deposition
sand bars and sand spits
infiltration
is the process by which water enters earth and becomes groundwater below the surface
water table
the upper boundary of the saturated zone
aquifer
a rock unit that can transfer water through its pore space
porosity
of a material is the the percentage of the materials total volume that is pore space
absolute dating
is the process of assigning an exact numerical age to an organism, an object or event
relative dating
is the process of placing objects or events in their proper order in time
uninforitarianism
states the laws of nature
principle of superposition
states that in an undisturbed sequence of of sedimentary rock layers
unconformities
are gaps in the rock record during which an erosion occurred or deposition was absent
fossils
the remains or traces of organisms found in the geological rock record
what percentage of water on earth is salt water
97 percent
what percentage of water on earth is freshwater
3 percent
where is the majority of freshwater found
glaciers
where is the smaller percentage of freshwater found
lakes, rivers, and stored as ground water
what is precipitation
when water vapor cools and condenses
what is runoff
water running of the land surface
what is infiltration
the process of when water enters earth and becomes groundwater
what is transpirtation
plants release water vapor into the atmosphere through their leaves
what is evaporation
when water enters the atmosphere as water vapor
what is condensation
when water vapor collides with water vapor molecules to form water droplets
what is the water cycle
water on the land that goes into the atmosphere and returns to the land
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 zone, where water completely fills the pore space
what is a water table
the upper boundary of the unsaturated zone
what does it mean if sediment is permeable
it is easier for water to 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 the plains aquifer run through
8 states
what are the names of the states that the great plains aquifer runs through
SD, WY, NE, CO, KS, OK, NM, and TX
what is an aquitard
`keep water confined
how are water spring formed
is where the water table meets the earth surface
what is an artesian well
wells drilled into pressurized aquifers
what is a cone of depression
the direction that the water flows into the well
