erosion project 3O3 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 of turning from liquid into vapor
condensation
the change of state from a gas to a liquid
precipitation
any form of water that falls to the Earth’s surface from the clouds
surface runoff
the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess rainwater can no longer infiltrate the soil
tributary
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 feeds into one ocean and the Basin on the other side feeds into a different ocean
deposition
the process in which material is laid down
delta
fan shaped mass of material deposited at the mouth of a stream
floodplain
an area along the 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 plant
a facility that cleans the waste materials found in water that comes from sewers or drains
