erosion Flashcards
erosion
the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents
weathering
wear away or change the appearance or texture of by long exposure to the air
water cycle
the cycle of processes by which water circulates between the earth’s oceans
evaporation
Evaporation is the process of a substance in a liquid state changing to a gaseous state due to an increase in temperature
condensation
water that collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it
precipitation
the action or process of precipitating a substance from a solution
percolation
Percolation is the process of a liquid slowly passing through a filter
runoff
a further competition, election, race, etc., after a tie or inconclusive result
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
An imaginary geographic line defined by the fact that water poured on one side of it would ultimately flow into the ocean on one side of a continent
deposition
the action of deposing someone, especially a monarch
delta
the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet
alluvial fan
a fan-shaped mass of alluvium deposited as the flow of a river decreases in velocity
floodplain
an area of low-lying ground adjacent to a river, formed mainly of river sediments and subject to flooding
water table
the level below which the ground is saturated with water
sewage treatment plants
Sewage treatment is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater, primarily from household sewage
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
a chimney, especially one on a factory, or a vertical exhaust pipe on a vehicle
sea arches
A sea arch is a natural opening eroded out of a cliff face by marine processes
sea caves
A sea cave, also known as a littoral cave, is a type of cave formed primarily by the wave action of the sea
wave-cut terraces
A wave-cut platform, coastal benches, or wave-cut benches is 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 the weathering of land
headlands
a narrow piece of land that projects from a coastline into the sea
beach
a pebbly or sandy shore, 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
In geology, drift is the name for all material of glacial origin found anywhere on land or at sea, including sediment and large rocks
till
less formal way of saying until
stratified drift
A general term for all glacial deposits both sorted and unsorted
