GEO Flashcards
Describe the characteristics of a mountain landscape.
Formed by tectonic plates on the Earth’s surface pushing against each other, causing the shape of the land to change.
What defines a human landscape?
These landscapes provide evidence of human settlement and occupation, including infrastructure such as buildings, roads, and transport.
Explain how a karst landscape is formed.
Formed when easily dissolvable bedrock is worn away by slightly acidic water, creating features like caves, stalactites, springs, and sinkholes.
Identify the characteristics of a desert landscape.
An area of land that receives no more than 250 millimetres of rain per year.
Discuss the types of geomorphic processes mentioned in the content.
Weathering, erosion, deposition, and tectonic activity.
How do tectonics shape the structure of the earth?
Tectonic plates push against each other, causing changes in the land’s shape.
Evaluate the impact of a natural disaster on social, economic, and environmental aspects using Mount Saint Helens as a case study.
The eruption affected local communities, economies, and ecosystems significantly.
Compare the management strategies of geomorphic hazards between Japan and Haiti.
Management strategies vary based on resources, technology, and governmental structures in each country.
Describe coastal landscapes.
Coastal landscapes are areas where a landmass meets the sea, shaped by natural forces such as wind and waves, which erode or construct the environment.
Define riverine landscapes.
Riverine landscapes are formed by the natural movement of water systems and are known for their rich and fertile land, making them excellent for agricultural uses.
How do geomorphic processes affect landscapes?
Geomorphic processes involve natural actions that shape the earth’s surface, including erosion, sediment deposition, and weathering.
Explain the significance of landforms.
Landforms are specific shapes or physical features of the earth’s surface created by natural processes, found in various landscapes like coastal, mountain, riverine, and desert.
What are spits and how do they form?
Spits are narrow coastal land formations attached to the coast at one end, formed by the longshore movement of sediment, often occurring where the coast changes direction.
Describe the process of weathering.
Weathering is the breakdown of rocks due to rainwater, temperature changes, and biological action, without the material being transported away.
How do human activities change landscapes?
Human activities can alter landscapes by clearing land for agriculture or constructing infrastructure, impacting the natural environment.
Identify the types of landforms mentioned in the content.
The types of landforms mentioned include coastal, mountain, riverine, and desert landscapes.
What is the relationship between tectonic plate boundaries and earthquakes?
Most earthquakes occur near tectonic plate boundaries due to the movement of plates causing pressure and resulting in seismic activity.
Explain the significance of outliers in earthquake data.
Outliers in earthquake data, such as those occurring away from plate boundaries, can indicate unusual geological activity or stress in the earth’s crust.
Describe the physical weathering process of rocks.
Physical weathering involves water freezing and thawing, where water penetrates cracks in rocks. As it freezes, it expands, causing the cracks to enlarge and eventually breaking the rocks apart.
Explain the chemical weathering process in limestone.
Chemical weathering occurs when rocks like limestone contain chemicals that react with water, leading to the dissolution of the rock.
How do biological factors contribute to rock weathering?
Biological weathering is caused by living organisms, such as algae, which produce chemicals that break down rocks. Additionally, plants can force rocks apart.
Define erosion and its agents.
Erosion is the process of wearing away and moving soil and rocks to new locations by agents such as wind, water, or ice.
What is deposition in the context of landscapes?
Deposition is the process where materials moved by wind and water eventually settle, leading to the formation of new landforms like sand dunes and beaches.
Describe tectonic activity and its impact on Earth’s crust.
Tectonic activity involves the movement of Earth’s lithosphere, which is broken into plates. These movements can cause mountains to rise where plates converge and create oceans where they diverge.
What is a coastal landscape and provide an example.
A coastal landscape includes features formed by the interaction of land and sea, such as an atoll, which is a ring-shaped coral reef or a chain of small coral islands encircling a lagoon.
Define an archipelago.
An archipelago is a group or chain of islands.
What is a cirque in mountain landscapes?
A cirque is a bowl-shaped hollow at the head of a valley or on a mountainside, formed by glacial erosion.
Explain what a ridge is in geographical terms.
A ridge is a long, narrow elevation of land.
Describe a delta and its formation.
A delta is a fan-shaped, low-lying area of deposits that forms at the mouth of a river where it meets a body of water.
What characterizes a gorge?
A gorge is a deep, narrow, steep-sided valley.
Define a butte in desert landscapes.
A butte is a flat-topped hill, typically found in desert landscapes.
What is a desert dune?
A desert dune is a formation created by wind-blown particles, resulting in a mound or ridge of sand.
