Exam 2 Flashcards
What is the definition for weathering?
Weathering is the physical, chemical, and biological breakdown of rocks.
What is the difference between physical and chemical weathering
Chemical weathering is the change in composition (form) while physical weathering is the mechanical/physical breakdown.
What are the different types of physical weathering?
Freeze-thaw - water continually seeps into cracks, freezes and expands, eventually breaking the rock apart.
Exfoliation - cracks develop parallel to the land surface a consequence of the reduction in pressure during uplift and erosion.
What are the different types of chemical weathering?
Oxidation, hydration, hydrolysis, and acid reaction.
Which mineral dissolves in carbonic acid?
calcite (mainly composed of limestone and marble)
How do we get carbonic acid?
mix carbon dioxide and water
In what type of climate is chemical weathering most affective?
warm and humid
What is mass wasting?
It’s a type of gravity erosion. (erosion by gravity)
What is the main driving force behind mass waisting?
gravity
What slopes are unstable when it comes to mass waisting?
The steeper the slope, the more unstable the slope. Horizontal is the most stable
What are the agents of erosion on the surface of the earth?
Gravity, water, wind and glaciers
Define creep.
The slow and perceptibly slow movement of material downslope
Define slide.
A translational movement of material downslope.
What is devine slump?
The rotation movement of material downslope.
The rotation movement of material downslope
The rotation movement of material downslope (usually in clay).
Define avalanche
A very fast chaotic movement of material downlope.
Define fall?
Fast movement of material down vertical slopes
What triggered the massive avalanche/landslide in Peru in 1970 that killed 25,000 people?
earthquake
What is bed load, dissolved load, and suspended load?
Bed load is the bottom of channel.
suspended load is the solids that make the water cloudy.
dissolved load is ions and solution.
What are point bar deposits
They are deposits of the edges (insides) of the meandering.
What is saltation?
The jumping of material in the channel.
What is river discharge?
The amount of water that passes through a channel per unit time.
On which side of the dam are sediments deposited, upstream or downstream?
Upstream
What is a delta?
A deposit at the mouth of the river.