FINALS Flashcards
Weathering vs erosion
weather is breaking down of rocks into smaller pieces
erosion is removal, transport, and deposition of smaller rocks
types of mass wasting
rock slides, mudflows, slumps, creep
Watershed/drainage basin
a drain or sink, contributes to overland flow, streamflow, and groundwater
(Fluvial process)
Splash erosion vs sheet erosion vs rill erosion
Splash erosion - raindrops blast rocks upward
sheet erosion - water flows in thin sheets and move loose materials
rill erosion - flow becomes tiny separated channels
(Fluvial process)
Dissolved load vs suspended
dissolved loads - minerals like salt stays afloat
suspended - particles like clay in suspension and sinks if not moved.
(Fluvial Process)
Stream capacity vs perennial stream, intermittent stream, ephemeral stream
stream capacity - measure of the amount of solid material a stream has the potential to transport
perennial stream - permanent streamflow
intermittent stream - only part of the year
ephemeral stream - only flows during and after rain
Where and why does deposition occur?
transported material set down when stream flow decreases, deposits alongside bank where it water is flowing slowly
stream aggradation
raising of channel bed due to deposition build up
how can a stream rejuvenate?
lowering of sea level, increase of elevation from tectonic uplift
whats dissolving in a karst system?
carbonate rock (limestone)
Basic features of a cave
stalactite = from the top
stalagmite = from the bottom
column = when stalactite and stalagmite meet
geyser vs spring
a spring is water heated by magma, a geyser is a hot spring that erupts
why are arid lands so easily eroded?
lack of vegetation
exotic vs ephemeral streams
exotic streams = permanent streams sustained by water that originates outside the desert
ephemeral stream - carries water only after rain and then water evaporates (temporary)
landscape features that can develop in an arid landscape
sand dunes, rock formations, dry riverbeds
how does a playa form
when rainwater fills a clay-filled basin
Mesa vs butte vs pinnacle
Mesa = flat topped surface
buttes = flat topped but smaller
pinnacle = pillar form
arches vs bridges
arches = shaped by weathering and erosion
bridges = shaped by flowing water
what effects from the pleistocene can be seen in california?
yosemite (hanging valleys)
how do moraines form?
deposition by ice sheets, land consisting of till.
what is the cause of waves and how do we measure
cause = wind
measure = wave of translation, wave refraction
how can waves erode and shape the landscape
tsunami, waves, tides
how can sea-levels- rise without adding more water to the ocean?
Eustatic sea-level change
how long longshore current shape the landscape?
through breach drifting or a zigzag motion of sediment . transporting sediment along the coastline, leading to the creation of landforms like spits, sandbars, and barrier islands
how can coastlines submerge or emerge over time
rise in seal level = shoreline submergence
rise in land = shoreline emergency
How can corrals build islands over time
corals stack over time and accumulate upward
