Erosion Vocabulary Flashcards
erosion
the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents.
weathering
the process of wearing or being worn by long exposure to the atmosphere.
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 by which water changes from a liquid to a gas or vapor.
condensation
water which 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.
Surface Runoff
the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in the soil.
tributary
a river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake.
watershed
a dividing ridge between drainage areas b : a region or area bounded peripherally by a divide and draining ultimately to a particular watercourse or body of water
continental divide
A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent
deposition
the action of deposing someone, especially a monarch.
delta
A delta is a wetland area that forms as river waters empty into a larger body of water.
floodplain
an area of low-lying ground adjacent to a river, formed mainly of river sediments and subject to flooding.
water table
The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation.
sewage treatment plants
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
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
Sea arches are a spectacular phenomena created by Mother Nature with a little help from oceans.
sea caves
a type of cave formed primarily by the wave action of the sea
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 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
Glacial drift. A general term applied to all rock material transported by a glacier and deposited directly by or from the ice
Till
unsorted material deposited directly by glacial ice and showing no stratification.
stratified drift
predominantly unconsolidated, sorted sediment composed of layers of sand, gravel, silt or clay deposited by meltwaters from glaciers.
