Geo H2 Flashcards
abrasion (cliffed) coast
Steep coast which forms when the sea erodes the lower slopes.
atmosphere
The air around us.
beach ridge (sand mass)
A sand bank created by breakers, above sea level.
biological weathering
Weathering caused by living organisms.
biosphere
Life on Earth (plants, animals, people).
breakers
Waves breaking in the sea.
catchment area
The entire area that drains into the principal river system.
chemical weathering
Weathering that changes the composition of rock.
coastal dune
Hill that forms when the wind blows the sand together.
hills
Area with an altitude between 200 and 500 metres.
high mountain range
Mountainous area with an altitude higher than 1,500 metres.
ground moraine
Sediment that is left behind when a glacier melts.
gradient
The fall per kilometre.
graben
A dip in the Earth’s crust along a fault zone.
glacier-fed river
River that catches meltwater from glaciers.
glacier
Sheet of ice in a high mountain range that moves very slowly down the mountain (so slowly that you can’t even see it).
glacial tunnel
Tunnel that forms at the bottom of a glacier when meltwater accumulates there.
glacial portal
Opening where meltwater flows from a glacier.
glacial
Period when the average temperature on Earth fell by a few degrees. Also called ice age.
geological factor
Factor that partly determines the landscape.
frost weathering
Type of mechanical weathering; freezing and thawing makes the rock crumble.
fold mountain range
Mountains that form when the Earth’s crust is squeezed and pushed upwards.
flow rate
The amount of water that a river carries away.
firn basin
A place high in the mountains where firn accumulates.
firn
Crystalline, icy snow left over from previous seasons.
fault
Crack or tear in the Earth’s crust.
fall
The difference in altitude between two points along a river.
exogenic force
Force from outside the Earth that changes the Earth’s crust.
estuary
Broad river mouth formed by the ebb and flow of the tide.
erosion coast
Coast where the waves take away more material than they leave behind.
erosion
The abrasion of hard rock by water, ice and wind, carrying weathered material.
endogenic force
Force from within the Earth that changes the Earth’s crust.
Earth’s crust
Thin layer of rock that covers the Earth. It is about 1 to 7 kilometres thick under oceans and 20 to 70 kilometres thick under continents.
delta
An area at the river mouth where the main river divides into many small rivers.
horst
Part of the Earth’s crust that has been pushed upwards along a fault zone.
hydrosphere
All the water found on Earth.
ice age
See glacial.
interglacial
Warmer period between two ice ages.
land ice
A layer of perpetual snow that has turned into ice
lateral moraine
Debris on the side of an ice lobe.
lower reaches
The last part of a river (near the sea).
lowland
Area with an altitude lower than 200 metres.
low mountain range
Area where the altitude of most of the mountain peaks is between 500 and 1,500 metres.
meander
A natural bend in a river.
mechanical weathering
Weathering that does not change the composition of rock.
mixed river
River that transports meltwater from glaciers as well as rainwater.
old mountain range
Mountains with round tops and shallow valleys; older than 65 million years.
oxbow lake
Lake that forms when a meander is cut off from the main river.
plate
Piece of the Earth’s crust. Also called a slab.
precipitation
Water (rain, snow or hail) from the atmosphere that falls on the Earth.
rain-fed river
River consisting entirely of rainwater.
regime
Fluctuations in the amount of water transported by a river.
sedimentary rock
Rock formed from material left behind by ice, water or wind.
sedimentation
Happens when weathering or erosion material is left behind.
slab
See plate.
terminal moraine
Pulverized material pushed forward by a glacier.
trough valley (U-shaped valley)
Valley in the shape of a ‘U’, formed by the erosive action of a glacier.
upper reaches
The first part of a river (near the source).
V-shaped valley
Valley in the shape of a ‘V’, formed by the erosive action of a river.
watershed
Boundary between two catchment areas.
wave
Movement in a body of water, usually caused by wind blowing over the surface.
weathering
The disintegration of rock as a result of weather and vegetation.
weathered material
Debris from weathering.
young mountain range
Mountains with high peaks, sharp ridges and deep valleys; less than 65 million years old.
