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GEOG- Exam 3 Flashcards

1
Q

Frostwedging

A

Mechanical Weathering- Water gets into cracks in rocks & freezing enlarges the cracks

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2
Q

Salt Crystal Growth Process:

A
  1. sea spray to salty groundwater gets in rock cracks
  2. salt crystals form and when water evaporates it enlarges the cracks
  3. rocks eventually crack
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3
Q

Sheeting Process:

A

Pluton (intrusive igneous rock landforms) exposed after erosion removes younger rock that covered it
Rock slabs break due to release of confining pressure (weight of material above causing pressure from all sides)
Exfoliation dome forms after enough time passes *associated with pluton and weight of material pushing down on it
*Example: Half dome in Yosemite

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4
Q

bio activity with mechanical

A

plant roots

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5
Q

Karst Topography

A

Karst topography is a type of landscape that forms from the dissolution of soluble rocks, such as:

-Limestone
-Dolomite
-Gypsum

Key Features of Karst Topography:

Sinkholes – Depressions or holes in the ground caused by collapse of a surface layer.

Caves and Caverns – Formed as acidic water dissolves rock underground.

Disappearing streams – Rivers or streams that vanish into the ground.

Springs – Where underground water emerges at the surface.

🧪 How It Forms:
Rainwater absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and soil, becoming slightly acidic.

This weak acid reacts with the carbonate in rocks like limestone.
Over time, water slowly dissolves the rock, creating underground voids and surface features.

Karst areas are important for groundwater storage, but they can also be risky for construction due to sudden sinkhole formation.

-calcium carbonate and underground dissolving

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6
Q

Weathering

A

physical breakdown &/or chemical alteration of rock at or near Earth’s surface

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7
Q

Erosion

A

removal & transport of weathered rock by water, wind, or ice

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8
Q

Differences between weathering and erosion:

A

Weathering breaks down rocks and minerals in place, while erosion transports the broken-down materials away from their original location.

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9
Q

Mechanical Weathering

A

Physical forces breaking rocks into smaller pieces

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10
Q

Chemical Weathering

A

Chemical weathering is the process by which rocks and minerals break down due to chemical reactions, often involving water, acids, and gases. Unlike physical weathering, which just breaks rocks apart, chemical weathering changes the actual composition of the rock.

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11
Q

How do mechanical & chemical weathering work together?

A

Mechanical increases surface area, speeding up chemical reactions.

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12
Q

Karst valleys –

A

Created as sinkholes merge or expand over time.

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13
Q

Examples of mechanical weathering?

A

Frost wedging (ice expands in cracks), abrasion (rocks grind), root wedging, salt crystal growth.

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14
Q

What is sheeting?

A

Expansion and cracking of rock as overburden is removed. Creates exfoliation domes with onion-like layers.

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15
Q

Examples of chemical weathering?

A

Hydrolysis (water + minerals), oxidation (rust), carbonation (acid dissolves limestone), dissolution (minerals dissolve in water).

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16
Q

What is a solvent?

A

A liquid that dissolves other substances.

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17
Q

What is a homogeneous solution?

A

A mixture where the components are evenly distributed.

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18
Q

Two main factors influencing weathering rate?

A

Climate (especially moisture & temperature), and rock type (mineral composition/solubility)

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19
Q

What is solubility?

A

A substance’s ability to dissolve in a solvent.

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20
Q

What is regolith?

A

A layer of loose rock and mineral fragments covering bedrock.

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21
Q

What is soil?

A

A mixture of mineral particles, organic material, air, and water.

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22
Q

What is humus?

A

Decayed organic matter in soil.

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23
Q

What is loam?

A

Soil with a balanced mix of sand, silt, and clay.

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24
Q

3 soil particles ranked by size?

A

Sand (largest)
silt
clay (smallest)

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25
How does soil particle size relate to water storage?
Smaller particles (like clay) hold more water; larger particles (like sand) drain faster.
26
How does slope affect soil development?
Steep slopes = thin soil gentle/flat areas = thick soil.
27
What is a soil profile?
A vertical section showing all soil horizons.
28
What is a horizon?
A distinct soil layer with specific characteristics.
29
Young vs. mature vs. old soil?
Young: little horizon development. Mature: clear A, B, C horizons. Old: deep horizons, leached nutrients.
30
Soil formation lifeforms (stage 2)?
Microbes, fungi, insects, roots—help break rock and add organic matter.
31
What are sediments?
Loose materials like rock fragments, shells, mineral grains.
32
What are sediments?
Loose materials like rock fragments, shells, mineral grains.
33
Examples of what sediments can contain?
Rock fragments, fossils, minerals, organic material.
34
What is the process of sedimentary rock formation?
Form from weathering → erosion → deposition → lithification.
35
What % of Earth’s land surface is covered in sedimentary rocks?
About 75%.
36
Why are sedimentary rocks important?
Hold water, fossil records, resources (coal, oil, natural gas).
37
What are the 4 steps in sedimentary rock formation?
Weathering, transport, deposition, lithification.
38
Why do underwater fans form in Louisiana?
Midwest farm runoff carries sediment down the Mississippi River.
39
Why are fossils mostly found in sedimentary rocks?
Form at low pressures and temperatures—preserve remains.
40
What is a clastic sedimentary rock?
Made of fragments (clasts) of other rocks cemented together.
41
What is the difference between breccia and conglomerate clasts?
Breccia = angular clasts (short transport); Conglomerate = rounded clasts (longer transport).
42
What does 'poorly sorted' mean?
Clasts of many sizes; Example: breccia.
43
What does 'well sorted' mean?
Uniform clast sizes; Example: sandstone.
44
What is a chemical sedimentary rock?
Form from minerals precipitating from solution.
45
What is a chemical sedimentary rock formed from an organic process?
Limestone (from shells), chalk, coal.
46
What is an evaporite and give an example?
Form when water evaporates and leaves minerals behind. Example: rock salt.
47
What is coquina?
Sedimentary rock made of shell fragments.
48
What is chalk?
Made from microscopic marine organisms.
49
What used to be in Illinois that led to limestone?
A shallow tropical sea.
50
What is peat made of?
Partially decayed plant material.
51
What are the 3 types of coal and their differences?
Peat → lignite → bituminous → anthracite (increasing carbon and energy).
52
What rock type can metamorphic rock start as?
Any rock—igneous, sedimentary, or other metamorphic.
53
What are the two main causes of metamorphism?
Heat and pressure.
54
What is the difference between contact and regional metamorphism?
Contact = heat from magma (small area); Regional = pressure/heat from tectonics (large area).
55
What is the difference between low and high geothermal gradient?
Low: deep in subduction zones. High: near magma or shallower in rift zones.
56
What is differential stress?
Unequal pressure from different directions—causes minerals to align.
57
What is the difference between foliated and nonfoliated rocks?
Foliated = layered/banded (pressure-aligned minerals); Nonfoliated = uniform texture.
58
What is the parent rock of marble?
Limestone.
59
What is the parent rock of quartzite?
Sandstone.
60
What metamorphic rock is used in statues?
Marble.
61
How can the same parent rock make different daughter rocks?
Different temps, pressures, fluids cause varied outcomes.
62
What is hydrothermal metamorphism?
Hot fluids alter rocks near mid-ocean ridges; Example: serpentinite.
63
What is impact/shock metamorphism?
Caused by meteorite impact; Example: shocked quartz.
64
How old is the Earth?
About 4.6 billion years.
65
What does relative dating help geologists determine?
The sequence of events— which rock layers are older or younger, not exact ages.
66
What is the Principle of Superposition?
In undisturbed layers, the oldest rocks are at the bottom and youngest at the top.
67
What is the Principle of Original Horizontality?
Sedimentary layers are originally deposited flat—tilting/folding happened later.
68
What is the Principle of Lateral Continuity?
Layers extend horizontally until they thin out or meet a barrier.
69
What is the Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships?
A feature (like a fault or intrusion) that cuts through rock is younger than the rock it cuts.
70
What is the Principle of Inclusions?
Fragments (inclusions) in a rock are older than the rock itself.
71
What is the Principle of Fossil Succession?
Fossils appear in a definite vertical order; helps match rocks across regions.
72
What is strata?
Layers of sedimentary rock with distinct characteristics.
73
What is an unconformity?
A gap in the geologic record due to erosion or non-deposition.
74
What is disconformity?
Sedimentary layers are parallel, but there's a time gap due to erosion.
75
What is angular unconformity?
Tilted or folded rocks are overlain by flat layers—indicates tectonic activity before new deposition.
76
What is nonconformity?
Sedimentary rock rests on igneous or metamorphic rock—represents a big time gap.
77
What is runoff?
Water that flows over land instead of soaking in.
78
Why is runoff higher in urban areas?
Impermeable surfaces (like concrete) prevent infiltration.
79
What is sheet flow?
A thin, broad layer of water moving over land.
80
What are rills?
Small channels formed by running water.
81
What are gullies?
Deeper, larger channels formed from erosion of rills.
82
What is a stream?
A body of water that flows in a channel.
83
What causes a river to meander?
Erosion on outer banks and deposition on inner banks due to water speed differences.
84
What is a tributary?
A smaller stream that flows into a larger one.
85
What is a drainage basin?
The area that collects and drains water into a main river.
86
What is a divide?
A ridge or high point that separates drainage basins.
87
What causes different drainage patterns?
Influenced by rock type, structure, and slope of the land.
88
What is a dendritic drainage pattern?
Tree-like pattern that forms on uniform rock with gentle slope.
89
What is a radial drainage pattern?
Water flows outward from a central high point (e.g., volcano). think raised- radial, looks like a little kids drawing of the sun
90
What is a rectangular drainage pattern?
Right-angle bends that follow faults or joints in bedrock. -cracks increase weathering & erosion
91
What is a trellis drainage pattern?
Main stream with parallel tributaries that forms in folded or layered rock (like valleys and ridges). - common in Appalachia
92
Impermeable features
roads, parking lots, compacted soil, roofs, highway drains clogged with trash, etc. physically stop the water from infiltration - increased flood risk -lower groundwater rate
93

geology (4 decks)

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