erosion Flashcards
erosion
the process by which wind, water, ice, or gravity transports soil and sediment from one location to another
weathering
the process by which rock materials are broken down by the action of physical or chemical processes
water cycle
the continuous movement of water from the ocean to the atmosphere to the land and back to the ocean
evaporation
the process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas or vapor
condensation
the change of state from a gas to a liquid
precipitation
any form of water the falls to the earths surface from the clouds
surface runoff
the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in the soil.
tributuary
a stream that flows into a lake or into a larger stream
watershed
the area of land that is drained by a water system
continental divide
a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not connected to the open sea
deposition
the process by which material is laid down
delta
a fan-shaped mass material deposited at the mouth of a stream
floodplain
an area along a river that forms from sediments deposited when the river overflows its banks
water table
the upper surface of underground water; the upper boundary of the zone of saturation
sewage treatment plans
a facility that cleans the waste materials found in water that comes from sewers of drains
