erosion Flashcards
the geological process in which earthen materials are worn away and transported by natural forces such as wind or water.
erosion
the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on Earths surface.
weathering
the cycle of processes by which water circulates between the earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and land, involving precipitation as rain and snow, drainage in streams and rivers, and return to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration.
water cycle
the process of turning from liquid into vapor.
evaporation
water which collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it.
condensation
any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to the Earth.
precipitation
the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess rainwater, storm water, melt water, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in the soil.
surface runoff
a river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake.
tributary
an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas.
watershed
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.
continental divide
the action of deposing someone, especially a monarch.
deposition
wetlands that form as rivers empty their water and sediment into another body of water
delta
an area of low-lying ground adjacent to a river, formed mainly of river sediments and subject to flooding.
floodplain
the level below which the ground is saturated with water.
water table
Sewage treatment is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable for discharge to the surrounding environment or an intended reuse application, thereby preventing water pollution from raw sewage discharges.
sewage treatment plants
a tank, typically underground, in which sewage is collected and allowed to decompose through bacterial activity before draining by means of a leaching field.
septic tank
a chimney, especially one on a factory, or a vertical exhaust pipe on a vehicle.
sea stacks
develops when a headland protruding into the ocean causes waves to refract around it.
sea arches
a type of cave formed primarily by the wave action of the sea.
sea caves
the narrow flat area often found at the base of a sea cliff or along the shoreline of a lake, bay, or sea that was created by erosion.
wave-cut terraces
a narrow piece of land that projects from a coastline into the sea.
headlands
a narrow, gently sloping strip of land that lies along the edge of an ocean, lake, or river.
beach
a slowly moving mass or river of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow on mountains or near the poles.
glacier
a name for all sediment transported by a glacier and deposited directly by or from the ice, or by glacial melt water.
glacial drift
