erosion vocabulary Flashcards
erosion
erosion is the action of surface processes that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth’s crust
weathering
Weathering is the deterioration of rocks, soils and minerals as well as wood and artificial materials
water cycle
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the hydrological cycle
evaporation
vaporization that occurs on the surface of a liquid as it changes into the gas phase
condensation
Condensation is the change of the state of matter from the gas phase into the liquid phase
precipitation
of precipitation include drizzling, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail
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 tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream
watershed
the area of land where all of the water that drains off of it goes into the same place—a river, stream or lake
continental divide
A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side
deposition
A deposition in the law of the United States, or examination for discovery in the law of Canada
delta
a wetland area that forms as river waters empty into a larger body of water
floodplain
the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls
water table
The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation.
sewage treatment plants
the process that removes the majority of the contaminants from waste-water or sewage and produces both a liquid effluent suitable for disposal to the natural environment and a sludge.
septic tank
a buried, water-tight container usually made of concrete, fiberglass, or polyethylene
sea stacks
a chimney, especially one on a factory, or a vertical exhaust pipe on a vehicle.
sea arches
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
the broad, gently seaward dipping platform located at the base of the modern sea cliff
headlands
a coastal landform, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water.
beach
sediments that accumulate along the sea or lake shores
glacier
A glacier is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight.
glacial drift
Glacial drift. A general term applied to all rock material
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.
