erosion Flashcards
a process in which the materials of Earth’s surface are loosened, dissolved, or worn away and transported from one place to another by a natural agent, such as wind, water, ice, or gravity
erosion
the natural process by which atmospheric and environmental agents, such as wind, rain, and temperature changes, disintegrate and decompose rocks
weathering
the continuous movement of water between the atmosphere, the land, and the oceans
water cycle
the change of state from a liquid to a gas
evaporation
the change of state from a gas to a liquid
condensation
any form of water that falls to Earth’s surface from the clouds; includes rain, snow, sleet, and hail
precipitation
process of a liquid slowly passing through a filter
percolation
a process of a liquid slowly passing through a filter
runoff
a stream that flows into a lake or into a larger stream
tributary
the area of land that is drained by a river system
watershed
when a Continent divides
continental divide
the process in which material is laid down
deposition
a fan-shaped mass of rock material deposited at the mouth of a stream; for example, deltas form where streams flow into the ocean at the edge of a continent
delta
a fan-shaped mass of rock material deposited by a stream when the slope of the land decreases sharply; for example, alluvial fans form when streams flow from mountains to flat land
alluvial fan
an area along a river that forms from sediments deposited when the river overflows its banks
floodplain
the upper surface of underground water; the upper boundary of the zone of saturation
water table
a facility where sewage is processed to reduce the organic and bacterial content
sewage treatment plants
a tank that separates solid waste from liquids and that digests organic matter in the process
septic tank
sea stack is a geological land form consisting of a steep and often vertical column
sea stacks
a natural opening eroded out of a cliff face
sea arches
cave formed primarily by the wave action of the sea
sea caves
a gently sloping surface that is carved by wave erosion and that extends from the base of a cliff into the sea
wave-cut terraces
a high and steep formation of rock that extends out from shore into the water
headlands
an area of the shoreline that is made up of deposited sediment
beach
a large mass of moving ice
glacier
the rock material carried and deposited by glaciers
glacial drift
unsorted rock material that is deposited directly by a melting glacier
till
a glacial deposit that has been sorted and layered by the action of streams or melt water
stratified drift
