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SY Spring Semester > GEOL 120 - Midterm 2 > Flashcards

GEOL 120 - Midterm 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Earthquake Magnitude

A

A measure of the energy released by an earthquake, an earthquake has only one magnitude.

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2
Q

Earthquake Intensity

A

A measure of the observed shaking caused by an earthquake, one earthquake has different levels of intensity across different locations.

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3
Q

Modified Mercalli Scale

A

Describes earthquake intensity based on observed shaking severity, has 12 divsions of intesnity.

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4
Q

Moment Magnitude

A

Measures the energy released by an earthquake based on fault area, rupture velocity, and rock strength.

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5
Q

Richter Scale

A

Measures earthquake amplitude of the largest seismic wave based on a logarithmic scale. For large earthquakes it is approx equal to the moment magnitude.

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6
Q

Faulting

A

The lateral motion of two bodies of rock.

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7
Q

Units for magnitude of earthquakes

A

“M”, they increase 10x per 1 increase.

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8
Q

Active Faults

A

Faults that have been active in the past 10,000 years.

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9
Q

Strike-Slip Faults

A

Faults where the motion is parallel to the strike of the fault. Right-lateral if the RHS moves towards you as you look along the fault line and vice-versa.

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10
Q

Dip-Slip Faults

A

Faults with vertical displacement.

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11
Q

Reverse Faults

A

Faults with up-dip motion common during mountain building.

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12
Q

Normal Faults

A

Faults with down-dip motion common in subduction zones.

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13
Q

Focus

A

The point at which rocks rupture during an earthquake.

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14
Q

Epicenter

A

The point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus of an earthquake.

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15
Q

P-Waves

A

Fastest earthquake waves that travel through push-pull motion.

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16
Q

S-Waves

A

Slower earthquake waves that travel through side-to-side motion.

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17
Q

R-Waves

A

Surface waves that travel through rolling motion and are the most damaging.

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18
Q

The Different Types of Faults

A

Normal, reverse, and strike-slip

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19
Q

How earthquake intensity and magnitude are measured

A

Intesity is measured based on the 12 level MMI (using seismographs), magnitude is measured based on the Richter scale (amplitude of greatest seismic wave; up to 8M)

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20
Q

Slumps

A

Motion of large blocks of mass along curved slip planes, common in softer rock or soil.

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21
Q

Slides

A

Motion of large blocks of mass moslty along straight slip planes, common in rock and soil

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22
Q

Falls

A

Direct, free dall of rocks fown a steep slope, common in hard rock

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23
Q

Flows

A

Fluid-like motion of soil, aka soil creep, that is seen through buckling of infrstructure

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24
Q

Slope Stability

A

Factors affecting the stability of slopes such as earth material, climate, vegetation, and water.

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25
Q

Sinkholes

A

Depressions in the ground caused by the collapse of surface material into underground cavities.

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26
Q

Subsidence

A

The sinking of the Earth’s surface due to various factors like fluid withdrawal or subsurface chemical weathering.

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27
Q

Mass Wasting

A

The downslope movement of rock or soil as a coherent mass.

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28
Q

What type of rock faces produce falls and slumps

A

Slumps are produced by soft rock, falls by hard rock

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29
Q

How does the strength of rock influence the types of landslides

A

It affects the internal strength of the slope (slope stability), softer rock tends to slump, while hard forck tend to fall.

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30
Q

What is the relationship between water, climate, and landslides

A

Climate influences the amount of water that infiltrates the ground and the time of precipitation; water affects slope stability (which leads to landslides) by

(1) developing soil slips by saturating the soil, like during storms;
(2) developing slumps/slides after long periods of infiltration; (3) eroding the base of the slope (4) creating “quick clay”, saturating clay to such a degree it loses shear strength and flows/behaves like a liquid

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31
Q

Ways to predict and manage landslides

A

Identify areas with high potnetial for landslides, and create stability maps; minimize and remove buildings on unstable slopes; drainage contorl, reducing gradient; slope supports; benching; warning systems.

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32
Q

Safety Factor of Lanslides

A

The ratio of resisting to driving/sliding forces of a slope.

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33
Q

What influences wave height

A

wind speed/velocity, duration, and fetch (area over which wind blows)

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34
Q

Surface Currents

A

Fueled by wind, patterns of surface currents are determined by wind direction, Coriolis forces from the Earth’s rotation, and the postion of landforms that interact with the currents.

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35
Q

Deep Shore Currents

A

Form from differences in water density (cold, dense water sinks and surface water flows to replace it)

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36
Q

Currents

A

Horizontal movement of a large volume of seawater due to oblique waves, difference in water temperature, and or differences in water salinity. Can be global or local.

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37
Q

Erosion Shaped Coastlines

A

Waves expend their energy at the shoreline, as the wave front apporaches the coastline, its shape becomes parallel to the coastline. Waves converge (increase wave height, increased energy) at the rocky points and diverge at beaches. Long-term effect: wave erosion straightens the shorelines.

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38
Q

Berms

A

Flat, backshore areas formed by deposition from waves expending the last of their energy

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39
Q

Beach face

A

The sloping portion of the beach below the berm

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40
Q

Swash zone

A

Part of the beach face exposed by the uprush and backwash of waves

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41
Q

Surf zone

A

Portion of seashore environment where turbulent translational waves move toward the shore after the incoming waves break

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42
Q

Breaker zone

A

Area where incoming waves become unstable, peak, and break

43
Q

Longshore trough & bar

A

Elongated depression and adjacent ridge of sand produced by wave action

44
Q

Hard stabilization

A

Method creating artificial barriers to beach erosions (jetties, groins, breakwaters, and seawalls). often interfere with zig-zag/lateral trasnport of sediment.

45
Q

Soft stabilization

A

Approach using beach nourishment, expensive but more natural.

46
Q

Factors putting coastal areas at risk for natural hazards

A

Rising sea level, increased erosion, and human interference with natural processes

47
Q

Beach nourishment

A

Artificially adding sand to the beach for protection. More natural and aestheically pleasing, protects shorline erosions, provides recreation beach. Expensive, can be eroded quickly.

48
Q

Jetties

A

Structures often constructed in pairs at the mouth of a river or inlet, stabilize a channel, control the deposition of sediment and deflect large wave. Cons: block littoral transpot of sediment —> erosion of downdrift beaches and deposition of sediment in the channel

49
Q

Groins

A

Linear structures perpendicular to the shore designed to protect shorelines and trap sediment. Pro: widen the beach, protecting from shoreline erosion. Con: erosion downdrift, as groin traps sediment on the updrift side, the downdrift area is deprived of sediment.

50
Q

Seawalls

A

Engineering structures constructed at the water’s edge to minimize coastal erosion. Pro: retard erosion, blocks water side infrastructure. Con: not effective at the base of sea cliffss, reduces bioodiversity in the long term.

51
Q

Breakwaters

A

Structures designed to protect a beach/harbor from the force of waves. Pro: provides a protected area or harbor for boat moorings. Cons: blocks natural littoral trasport of sediment, creating sand bars.

52
Q

Tides

A

Caused by gravitational force acting on the oceans. Magnitude and timing of tides depend on axial tilit, goemetry of basins, air pressure

53
Q

Waves

A

Generated by wind blowing over water

54
Q

Wave base

A

Depth in a body of water where the action of surface waves stops stirring the sediments, one half the wavelength

55
Q

Causes waves to break as they approach the shore

A

The shallower water leads to decreased velocity/wavelength and increased wave height, making waves steeper, before impinging on the bottom

56
Q

Rip currents

A

Seaward flow of water in a confined narrow zone from a beach to beyond the breaker zone

57
Q

Longshore currents

A

Current of water and moving sediment that develops in the surf zone as a result of waves striking the land at an angle

58
Q

How to escape rip current

A

Swim parallel to the shore until you are out of it

59
Q

Sediment Load

A

Materials moved by streams

60
Q

Dissolved Load

A

ions from mineral weathering

61
Q

Suspended Load

A

Fine particles (silt and clay) in the flow

62
Q

Bed Load

A

Larger particles roll, slide and bounce (saltation)

63
Q

Calculating Streamflow

A

Discharge = streamflow (Q): volume of water transported per unit time

Q = Width * Depth * Velocity

64
Q

Lowest level that a stream erodes

A

Sea Level

65
Q

Lower Base Level

A

Steeper profile, increases stream erosion. Caused by sea level drop, subsidence at mouth, uplift at head, removing/loss of lakes

66
Q

Raise Base Level

A

Shallower profile, deposit sediment. Caused by sea level rise, uplift at the mouth, susidence at head, creation of lakes.

67
Q

Competence

A

Maximum size particle transported

68
Q

Capacity

A

Maximum load transported

69
Q

Vegetation and Runoff

A

Creates a lag time between peak rainfall and discharge, intercepting and slowing precipitation hitting the ground, leading to less flooding and erosion.

70
Q

Overland Flow / Runoff

A

Water moving over the surface as overland flow, keeps rivers and lakes full of water, and changes the landscape through erosion

71
Q

Infiltration

A

Water that seeps into the surface of the land, helps plant growth and the environment

72
Q

Factors influecning runoff

A

Covering land with impermiable surfaces (increases runoff), removing vegetation (increases speed of runoff), fertilizers (pollutes runoff).

73
Q

How Streams Originate

A

Moving water forms a channel, channel erodes the substrate, caused by flooding, rain, etc.

74
Q

1 year, 5 year, and 10 year floods

A

A flood with a magnitude greater than or equal to X can be expected every 1/5/10 years; it is the recurrence inteval.

75
Q

How and Why Streams Move in Landscapes

A

They are a primary erosion agent, cutting banks and point bars.

76
Q

Oxbow Lakes

A

An abandon channel filled with water, when the stream cuts out a channel and the channel gets so much sediment that it is cut off from the mainstream (i.e erosion at the outside bend and deposition at the inside bend)

77
Q

Hydrograph Factors

A

Slow peak discharge and lag time, influenced by infiltraion and runoff, size of watershed, and land cover

78
Q

How Urbanization Alters Hydrographs

A

Decreases lag time and causes peak discharge to increase

79
Q

Importance of Sediment in Streams

A

Solid material that is moved and deposited in a new location, helps shape the landscape by transporting sediment, creating natural levees, forming nutrient-rich soils

80
Q

Water Cycle Components

A

Evaporation, precipitation, infiltration, and runoff

81
Q

Aquifer

A

Earth material capable of supplying groundwater from a well at a useful rate

82
Q

Aquiclude

A

Earth material that arrests the flow of liquids; impermeable layer holding water in place, underneath aquifer

83
Q

Porosity

A

Percentage of void space in a material

84
Q

Permeability

A

Ability of a material to transmit fluids

85
Q

Hydraulic Gradient

A

Gradient and pressure of the water table

86
Q

Hydraulic Conductivity

A

Ability of a material to transmit fluids, aka permeability

87
Q

Groundwater Flow Control

A

Flows from high pressure to low pressure areas, influenced by hydraulic gradient and conductivity

88
Q

Oasis Formation

A

Water from recharge areas flows underground to oasis discharge points

89
Q

Water Distribution System

A

Mimics artesian aquifers to deliver water to faucets. Water is pumped into an elevated storage tank, creating and artificial pressure surface, driving water through the distribution system.

90
Q

Cone of Depression

A

Sag in water table from overpumping, leading to land destabilization and water table lowering, making it more expensive or impossible to pump the water

91
Q

Subsidence from goundwater pumping

A

Fluid withdrawal reduces support for overlaying materials

92
Q

Wetlands

A

Areas inundated by water, important for coastal erosion buffering and water filtration

93
Q

Artesian Wells

A

Groundwater flowing from a confined aquifer under pressure

94
Q

Wells

A

A hole dug deep enough that it penetates below the water table, and fillis up with water due to pressure

95
Q

Springs

A

Water flowing from the aquifer intersects surfaces

96
Q

Aquifer Influence

A

Permeability and porosity impact the rate of groundwater supply

97
Q

Groundwater Concerns

A

Overconsumption leads to depletion and quality issues from pollutants

98
Q

Soil Zones

A

Unsaturated zone above the water table and saturated zone below

99
Q

Stream Order

A

Measure of relative stream size, from first-order tributaries to larger rivers

100
Q

Evapotranspiration

A

Sum of water movement processes from land to atmosphere, crucial for ecosystem water balance

101
Q

Damming Impacts

A

Prevents natural flooding and levees, affects sediment transport, disrupts ecosystems, and can lead to flooding if dams break

102
Q

Sediment Transport Importance

A

Shapes landscapes through erosion, transport, and deposition

103
Q

Earthquake Precautions

A

Hazard-reduction programs, warning systems, and building structures to withstand shaking

104
Q

Earthquake Warning Signs

A

Microearthquakes, foreshock activity, radon gas emission, and ground tilt.

SY Spring Semester (4 decks)

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