Chapter 9 -section 2 Flashcards
What is the major agent of erosion on Earth’s surface
Moving water
List these in order of size:
tributary, stream, rill, gully, runoff, river
Rill Gully Stream River tributary
Where would gullies be more likely to form:
a field with plowed soil and no plants or
a field covered with thick grass
explain
A field with plowed soil and no plants
What are five features that erosion forms along a river?
Valleys, waterfalls, floodplains, meanders, and oxbow lakes
What are three features that result from deposition along a river?
Alluvial fans
deltas
Soil on flood plain
Why does a Delta often Form where a River empties into the ocean?
Because the river water is no longer flowing downhill, the water slows down. At this point the sentiment in the water drops to the bottom which forms the delta.
What process is the cause of groundwater erosion?
Chemical weathering
How do groundwater erosion and deposition produce a limestone cave?
When water sinks into the ground it combines with carbon dioxide to form a weak acid called carbonic acid. Groundwater containing carbonic acid flows into any cracks in the limestone. Then some of the limestone changes chemically and is carried away in a solution of water
This process gradually hollows out pockets of rock forming Caves or caverns.
Runoff
Water that moves over surface
Rill
Tiny grooves in the soil caused by Runoff
Gully
A large groove or channel in the soil that carries runoff after a rainstorm
Stream
A channel along which water is continually flowing down a slope
Tributary
A stream or river that flows into a larger river
Flood plain
The flat wide area of land along a river
Meander
A loop like bend in the course of a river
Oxbow lake
A meander that has been cut off from the river
Alluvial fan
A wide sloping deposit of sediment formed where a stream leaves a mountain range
Delta
An area formed when sediment is deposited where a river flows into an ocean or lake.
Groundwater
Water that soaks into the ground from rainfalls and snow melts
Stalactite
A deposit of calcite hangs like an icicle from the roof of the cave
Stalagmite
A deposit of calcite hanging from the roof of the cave shaped like a cone
Karst topography
A landscape that is characterized by numerous caves and sinkholes.
What process is mainly responsible for shaping the surface of the land
Erosion caused by moving water
What features are formed by water erosion and deposition
Alluvial fans and deltas
