Erosion Flashcards
erosion
the geological process in which earthen materials are worn away and transported by natural forces such as wind or water
weathering
the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on Earths surface
water cycle
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.
evaporation
the process that changes liquid water to gaseous water
condensation
the process by which water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water
precipitation
water that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth’s surface
surface runoff
water “running off” the land surface
tributary
a river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake.
watershed
an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas.
continental divide
a divide separating river systems that flow to opposite sides of a continent
deposition
the laying down of sediment carried by wind, flowing water, the sea or ice
delta
wetlands that form as rivers empty their water and sediment into another body of water
floodplain
an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge
water table
an underground boundary between the soil surface and the area where groundwater saturates spaces between sediments and cracks in rock
sewage treatment plant
is part of the field of sanitation
septic tank
a tank, typically underground, in which sewage is collected and allowed to decompose through bacterial activity before draining by means of a leaching field.
sea stacks
Isolated outcrops of rock standing in the ocean
sea arches
forms as the result of different rates of erosion typically due to the varied resistance of bedrock
sea caves
are formed primarily from erosion caused by waves
wave-cut terraces
a shallow-water shelf inclining gently away from the base of an eroded sea cliff
headlands
a narrow piece of land that projects from a coastline into the sea.
beach
a strip of land covered with sand, pebbles, or small stones at the edge of a body of water, especially by the ocean between high- and low-water marks.
glacier
a slowly moving mass or river of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow on mountains or near the poles.
glacial drift
material, as gravel, sand, or clay, transported and deposited by a glacier or by glacial meltwater.
till
unsorted glacial sediment
stratified drift
predominantly sorted sediment laid down by or in meltwater from glaciers and includes sand, gravel, silt, and clay arranged in layers
