Distinctive Landscapes: RIVERS Flashcards
What are geomorphic processes and what do they include?
Processes that lead to a change in the shape of the Earth. These include:
Weathering
Mass movement
Erosion
Transportation
Deposition
What is weathering?
The breaking down of rocks due to long exposure to the atmosphere.
What is mass movement?
The downhill movement of cliff material due to gravity.
What is the fluvial process?
The process of erosion and transportation in a river.
What is erosion?
The breaking down and wearing away of rocks.
What is transportation?
When rocks are moved along a river.
What is deposition?
When sediment is dropped to the river bed due to the river not having enough power and energy.
What are the 4 processes of erosion?
Abrasion
Hydraulic action
Attrition
Solution
What is abrasion?
The rubbing of rocks along the bed or banks of a river - sandpaper effect.
What is hydraulic action?
Water hits the river cliffs and banks which creates cracks.
What is attrition?
When larger sediment collide into each other.
What is solution?
When the water dissolves resistant rocks like limestone.
What are the 4 methods of transportation?
Saltation
Suspension
Traction
Solution
What is saltation?
When rocks are bounced along the river bed.
What is suspension?
When sediment is suspended in the water and carried along with it.
What is traction?
When large boulders are rolled along the river bed.
What is solution?
When the dissolved rocks are transported along the river.
What are the 3 processes of weathering?
Mechanical/physical
Biological
Chemical
What is mechanical/physical weathering?
When larger rocks are broken down into smaller rocks dur to physical processes such as rain and wind.
What is biological weathering?
Weathering caused by living organisms such as plants and animals.
What is chemical weathering?
Weathering that makes changes to the rock’s chemistry and minerals
