Final Exam Flashcards
the amount of uniformity in the size of rock particles
sorting
Finger lakes form where ___.
moraines block existing streams
What affects the depth of the water table below ground?
surface topography,
permeability of the aquifer,
rainfall
the area where water from the surface can move through permeable rock to reach an aquifer
recharge zone
What are two land features formed by hot groundwater?
geysers & hot springs
the aquifer zone that lies between the water table and the Earth’s surface
zone of aeration
How are wells, springs, and artesian formations similar?
All bring groundwater to Earth’s surface.
A cavern is a natural cavity in rock that forms as a result of ___.
dissolution of minerals
What affects the flow of groundwater through an aquifer?
porosity,
gradient,
permeability
Open spaces in rock must be connected in order for the rock to be ___.
permeable
Pumping water from a well causes a ___.
cone of depression
calcite formations standing on the floor of a cavern
stalagmites
What formation could be produced by hot springs when water mixes with sediment?
mud pot
uncollapsed rock between sinkholes can form arches
natural bridges
Which features are all produced by glacial erosion?
cirque, arête, horn
What is a continental glacier?
A mass of ice that is not confined by local topography.
What are all formed by glacial deposition?
erratic, till, glacial drift, moraine, drumlin
How can an iceberg be formed?
tidal action that breaks a large block of ice from an ice shelf
What explanation is the cause of glacial periods according to the Milankovitch theory?
cyclical changes in Earth’s movement relative to the sun
a bowl-shaped depression in a glacial drift deposit
kettle
the natural steepness of a slope
gradient
the process by which glaciers flow slowly as grains of ice deform under pressure and slide over each other
internal plastic flow
a sloping layer of permeable rock sandwiched between two layers of impermeable rock
artesian formation
the process by which a glacier slides due to the melting of ice at its base
basal slip
the ability of rock to let water pass through its pores
permeability
a large crack in a glacier
crevasse
a long period of cooling during which the continents are repeatedly glaciated
ice age
the percentage of the total volume of rock consisting of open spaces
porosity
irregular landforms created by chemical weathering on soluble rock characterized by caverns and sinkholes
karst topography
a large rock transported by a glacier
erratic
a circular depression that forms when rock dissolves
sinkhole
water beneath Earth’s surface
groundwater
a deep, bowl-shaped depression produced by glacial erosion
cirque
a body of rock that stores underground water and allows it flow
aquifer
changes in the shape of Earth’s orbit between nearly circular and elongated
eccentricity
the upper boundary of the zone of saturation
water table
an almost motionless mass of permanent ice and snow
glacier
Both rivers and glaciers can shape landscapes through the processes of erosion and ___.
deposition
When a glacier deposits till in the form of a ridge, on the ground, or on the glacier itself, a ___ is formed.
moraine
Another name for a continental glacier is ___.
ice sheet
Loess deposits are ___.
fertile and good for farming
About how much of the solar energy that reaches Earth is absorbed by the land, oceans, and atmosphere?
70%
small, closely packed rocks left behind by deflation
desert pavement
What type of dune forms at a right angle to the wind?
transverse
During high tides, sand deposited on a beach can form a raised section called a ___.
berm
a sea cliff that becomes worn into a nearly level platform
wave-cut terrace
Most submergent coastlines have beaches that are ___.
short, narrow, and rocky
Most sand grains are made of ___.
quartz
Berms are high and deep in winter because storms erode sand from the seaward side of the berm and deposit it ___.
offshore to form an underwater ridge called a sand bar
What are formed by wave erosion?
sea cave, sea arch, sea stack
What pairs are components of the atmosphere?
- nitrogen/ oxygen
- ozone/ argon
- water vapor/ particulates
Solar radiation that is not reflected back into the atmosphere is absorbed by ___.
surface materials
What make up the global wind belt?
trade winds,
westerlies,
polar easterlies
Local wind patterns are affected by local conditions and ___.
temperatures
Because of the Coriolis effect, an object that travel north from the equator will curve to the ___.
East
Interactions between solar radiation and the ionosphere cause ___.
auroras
What are common sources of particulates?
volcanic dust,
salt particles,
pollen
Radiation whose wavelengths are among the shortest are ___.
x rays
In general, the Coriolis effect is noticeable only on objects that move very fast or travel ___.
long distances
the force per unit area that is exerted on a surface by the wight of the atmosphere
atmospheric pressure
sediment deposited along the shore of an ocean or lake
beach
movement of water parallel to and near the shoreline
longshore current
process by which wind moves sand grains in a series of jumps and bounces
saltation
the layer of the atmosphere in which temperature decreases as altitude increases; where weather conditions exist
troposphere
the curving path of an object from an otherwise straight path due to Earth’s rotation
Coriolis effect
bay where salt and fresh water mix
estuary
the coldest layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature decreases as altitude increases
mesosphere
process by which wind removes the top layer of fine, dry soil particles
deflation
the waves that make up all forms of radiation, or solar energy
electromagnetic waves
large hole that forms at the base of a sea cliff
sea cave
the fraction of solar radiation that is reflected off the surface of an object
albedo
formation created when waves cut through a headland
sea arch
the zone of indefinite altitude, which extends thousands of kilometers above the ionosphere
exosphere
resistant rock formations that project out from the shore
headland
the phenomenon that makes the sky appear blue and the sun red at sunset
scattering
rock pitted, grooved, or polished by wind abrasion
ventifact
Most barrier islands migrate toward the ___.
shore
A narrow region of shallow water between the shoreline and a barrier island is a ___.
lagoon
When a sea arch collapses, a ___ forms.
sea stack
The warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth, which occurs when carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases in the air absorb and radiate infrared radiation, is known as the ___.
greenhouse effect
fog that is common along coasts, where warm, moist air over water moves over land
advection fog
when a fast-moving cold front overtakes a warm front and lifts the warm air mass off the ground completely
occluded front
What might happen if enough energy is absorbed by liquid water?
the water will change to a gas
an instrument that measures precipitation by bouncing radio waves off rain or snow
doppler radar
A cloud whose name has the prefix nimbo- or the suffix -nimbus is ___.
rain-producing
In cloud seeding, silver-iodide crystals are used as ___.
freezing nuclei
the mass of water vapor in a unit of air relative to the mass of the dry air
absolute humidity
A drop of liquid precipitation that is 2 mm in diameter is ___.
rain
When ice melts, latent heat ___.
is released
clouds that often bring thunderstorms
cumulonimbus
precipitation that occurs when rain falls through a layer of freezing air close to the ground
sleet
The dew point is where the rate of evaporation ___ the rate of condensation.
equals
When air moves slowly, it takes on the temperature and humidity of its region, becoming a ___.
air mass
When a bend forms in a cold, it begins the process of forming an area of low pressure with rotating winds that move toward the rising air of the central low-pressure region. This storm is called a ___.
midlatitude cyclone
