Exam 4 Flashcards
rock flour
fine pulverized rock
till
unconsolidated sediment
abrasion
grinding by rock/ ice mixture
plucking
lifting of rocks and associated movement
moraine
debris of till at margins of the ice sheet (medial, terminal, recessional)
arete
knife-like ridge produced by parallel intersecting glacial trough walls
cirque
bowl shaped depression often near the glacial accumulation zone
horn
three or more adjacent cirques leaving pointed peek
col
gap or opening in the glacial trough wall
glacial trough
u-shaped valley carved by the glacier
hanging trough
where tributary glacier intersects primary alpine glacier
tarn
lake left in a cirque after glacial retreat
fiord
where a trough opens to the sea with glacial retreat
landslides
when failure steep sided trough walls
trough lake
elongated lakes left in glacial trough after glacial retreat
What are the two continental ice sheets today?
Antarctica and Greenland
Which continental ice sheet is the biggest?
Antarctica
Iceberg
90% volume below the sea level. Hazardous to shipping
Ice Shelf
A floating sheet of ice permanently attached to a landmass. These shelves are enormous and may be several hundred feet thick
Pleistocene glaciation
- Occurred from approximately 2.5 million to 22,700 years ago
- First noted by Louis Agassiz in mid-1800’s. He was a Swiss naturalist
- There were over 20 glacial events occurring during this time period with periods of glacial retreat
What are the impacts of Pleistocene Glaciation?
- Temperature change (5-10 degrees cooler)
- Isostatic adjustment (weight of ice forced continents down 300 meters; currently continents are rising at about 2 cm per year)
- Change in sea level (off Atlantic decreased 137 meters. Shoreline- 100 to 200 km from where it is today)
What causes these cycles of glaciation?
- Variations in the earth’s tilt
- Variations in the earth’s eccentricity in its orbit about the sun
- Precession (wobble)
- Variations in the arrangement of the continents through plate tectonics
- Variation in the ocean (air systems)
Drainage disruption
Soils that do not drain well in glaciated valleys. Gravelly with different size debris. ALSO POSSIBLY DERENGED DRANAGE SYSTEM where a drainage system has no coherent pattern. (tentative)
Pluvial lakes
a formerly large lake created by excessive rain paired with little evaporation
Scabland
rough, barren, volcanic topography with thin soils and little vegetation
Loess
Wind transported sediment from glaciated areas or deserts
striations
abrasion marks- trend in direction of ice movement- see rocks in central park, NY
glacial erratics
rock derived from poleward locations but carried south by glacial ice
kettle
when block of stagnate ice melts leaving a pitted area (small depression)
drumlin
smooth elongated hills- inverted spoon
eskers
winding ridges composed of sand and gravel; remnants of streams beneath glacial ice
kame
steep sided hill; where sand and gravel accumulated in ice crack or fissure (small hill)
marginal glacial lakes
where elongated valleys were carved and lakes were left as remnants
Stratified drift/ till
glacially sorted debris at edge of glacier
What are landforms made by?
Waves and currents
__% of population live within 93 miles of coastline
44%
What is the primary source of wave energy?
Wind
What are “swells”?
large waves when there is stronger wind
What is wave structure?
wave length, height, period, trough
What is a breaker
collapse of wave crest as wave approaches a shoreline
What kind of pattern do waves have?
Oscillartory
Swash
waves that wash up on the beach after an incoming wave has broken (at an angle)
Backwash
waves that wash back into the body of water
Beach Drift
movement along the coast based off swash and backwash
Longshore Drift
the movement of material along the shore by wave action
Jetties
a landing stage or small pier at which boats can dock or be moored
Groins
smaller version of jetties along coastline to help slowdown beach drift and longshore drift
Artificial nourishment
dumping in sand on coastline to reduce erosion
Wave cut terraces
a narrow water ridge inclining gradually away from the bottom of an eroded sea cliff.
sea caves
a type of cave formed primarily by the wave action of the sea
Sea arches
natural opening in the shape of a cliff, it is developed when the waves collide with the rock
sea stack
rock formation made up of a steep or upright column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast.
beach
a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles
spit
A spit is a coastal landform connected to mainland
boymouth bar
a sandbank that partially or completely closes access to a bay.
tombolo
a bar of sand or shingle joining an island to the mainland.
_ high tide(s) and _ low tide(s) ever _ hours
2 HIGH and 2 LOW every 24 HOURS
ebb current
seaward
flood current
landward
spring tide
strong high tides twice per month
neap tide
lowest tides twice per month
Tidal variations
Depends on ocean size, coastline shape, orientation relative to sun and moon
salt marshes
an area of coastal grassland that is regularly flooded by seawater:
mud flats
coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers.
polders/fenlands
drained marshes
ria
coastlines where sea levels rise
fiord examples
o Rise of sea level or crustal sinking
o Ex: new England coast; coastal uk; coastal France and spain
barrier island examples
o Recently emerged coastal plain; very gradual slope
o Includes lagoons, tidal inlets, and is vulnerable to overwash
o Ex: us Atlantic and gulf coast
delta
o Where major river flows into an ocean
o Ex: nile, Mississippi, tiber
volcanic
o Created by lava flows; usually very rugged
o Ex: Hawai’i, California, Oregon coastlines
coral reef
o Coral-marine invertebrates- secrete calcium carbonates
o Create different patterns of coral deposits depending on coastal platform characteristics
o Ex in Pacific: east coast of Australia
o Form atolls, fringing reefs, and barrier reefs
coastlines are based on what?
o Geology
o Topography
o Waves and currents
What are the 3 reef coastlines?
Atoll: volcano that doesn’t break the water and coral builds island
Fringing: attached to mainland
Barrier: not attached to mainland
What are eolian landforms?
wind related landforms
Deflation
lifting and removal of particles. “rock desert”
Abrasion
sand blasting
Sand creep
When sand grains collide with other grains causing them to move
dustorms
a strong wind which carries clouds of fine dust, soil, and sand over a large area.
sandstorms
a strong wind carrying clouds of sand with it, especially in a desert.
Haboob
large dust storm
dune
Where accumulation of sand shaped by wind and capable of movement over underlying ground
What are the factors that influence dune characteristics?
- wind strength
- consistency
- direction
- surface shape
- sand supply
- wind velocity
-vegetative cover
Types of dunes
- Barchan
- Parabolic
- Transverse
- Longitudinal
- Star
- Foredune
Barchan dune
Crescent shape, constant wind direction, limited sand supply
Parabolic dune
Reverse shape of barchan; where sparse vegetative cover; creates blowout like dune in coastal areas
Transverse dune
Large supply sand; constant wind direction, sinuous ridges of sand
Ex: Sahara Desert; like a sand sea
Longitudinal Dune
- Seif “Sword” dune
- Converging winds; elongated in general direction
Star dune
High central point; multiple wind directions
Foredune
Narrow belt of sand landward of ocean beach
How many millions of acres of prime agriculture are lost per year?
3.9-8.1
What are the controls on soil formation?
- Climate
- Organic matter
- Slope
- Time
- Parent material
- Human
What is a soil profile?
Collective horizons
What is a horizon?
distinct horizontal layer
What are the characteristics of soil?
- Soil color
- Soil texture (from SMALLEST to LARGEST: clay, silt, sand)
- Soil structure (the way soil aggregates [granular, blocky, platy, massive])
- Soil acidity and alkalinity (Cations: POSITIVE. eg: calcium, sodium, potassium. MORE ALKALINE. W/O Cations: MORE ACIDIC eg: aluminum and hydrogen)
Soil temperature
Influence chemical processes. Usually needs to be above 41 d F.
Soil orders
- Alfisols
- Andisols
- Aridisols
- Entisols
- Gelisols
- Inceptisols
- Vertisols
- Ultisols
- Spodosols
- Oxisols
- Mollisols
- Histosols
What is the dominate soil order in Ohio?
Alfisols
What are biotic communities?
Local association of plants and animals
What is the principle of limiting factors?
Plants and animals can only tolerate a limited range of conditions (temp, food sources)
What are the factors that influence distribution?
o Solar radiation
o Temperature
o Water
o Wind
o Altitude
o Fire
o Insects/parasites
o Animals
o Humans
What is the impact of the bark beetle?
Significant destruction in forests out west
What are krummholz?
stunted windblown trees growing near the tree line on mountains.
What are the impacts of fire?
70,000 forest fires on average per year
Where are more than half of the fires in the US?
The southeast
What is ecological succession?
Sequence of biotic communities moving toward ecosystem stability
What are sere-series?
Communities that follow one another in succession
What are seral stages?
Each one of the temporary communities
What is the pioneer stage?
first stage e.g. after a fire, flood, or clearing, generally hardy species which are first to colonize
What is the climax stage
final stage in ecological succession- brings stability
Structural dimensions
o Lifeform: tree vs shrub vs vine or herb size and stratification
o Coverage
o Periodicity: response to annual temp and ppt
o Leaf shape
o Leaf texture
What are the major biomes?
- Forest: at least 75% tree cover (under natural conditions)
- Savanna
- Shrubland (Mediterranean vegetation, drought tolerant)
- Grassland
- Desert
- Taiga
- Tundra
Why is the tropical rainforest important?
- Carbon sink
- Diversity
- Medicines
Why are temperate forests important?
- Carbon sink
- Diversity
- Sustainable
- Importannt nitro/ carbon cycles
Why are coniferous forests important?
- Wildlife
- Lumber products
- Snowpack insolation
Why are savannas important?
- Biodiversity
- Exotic animals
- Migration corridor
- Large watersheds
Why are shrublands important?
- Drought tolerant
- Protects erosion
- Slides
- Stores carbon
Why are grasslands important?
- Bison
- Agriculture
- Biochemical cycles
- Biodiversity
Why are deserts important?
- Saguaro
- Minerals (gypsum, potassium, copper, bauxite, diamonds)
Why are taigas important?
- Lumber
- Resins
- Carbon storage
Why are tundras important?
- Lumber
- Resins
- Carbon storage
What is energy?
the ability to do work. can change states.
What are the different types of energy?
o Thermal
o Light
o Sound
o Gravitational
o Kinetic
o Electrical
o Chemical
o Nuclear
What is renewable energy?
Energy resources will not run out because they can easily be regenerated (Wind, solar, water)
What is nonrenewable energy?
finite amount on earth and they will eventually run out (Oil, coal, natural gas)
Do we still use fossil fuels?
Yes, largely
What two countries heavily consume energy?
China and the US
What is the US’s % of wind and solar use?
Wind: 10%
Solar: ~5%
Which country is the top oil country?
Venezuela
Largest fossil fuel reserve
Coal
Who are the top energy consuming countries PER CAPITA?
Canada, Russia, Saudi Arabia
What are the producers of CO2?
- Coal
- Oil
- Biomass
How many barrels of oil does the US use per day?
18 million
Which countries have natural gas reserves?
- Russia
- Iran
- Qatar
- US
Globally, what is the % of solar and wind use?
Wind: 6%
Solar: 3%
What countries have lithium reserves?
- Chile
- Australia
What is the expected world population by 2050?
10 billion. Ag lands will become more marginal
What is BRICS and its importance?
- Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa
- Will become major energy users
How many degrees will the global temperature increase?
3 degree C by 2100
What are the other impacts of climate change?
- Biodiversity will decrease by 10% by 2050 (sig. in Asia, Europe, and S Africa)
- Mature forests to shrink by 13%
- Water demand is to increase by 55%
- App 1.4 billion people will be without basic sanitation
- Pollution in Asia
According to the UN’s 2022 report, what will happen if we do not mitigate climate change?
More fires, droughts, and severe storms
According to the UN’s 2022 report, what will happen if we do not mitigate climate change?
More fires, droughts, and severe storms
