Geologic landforms Flashcards
This volcano is highly viscous and highly explosive
Stratovolcano
Low viscosity, runny lava, and spreads away from the source
Shield volcano
Also called scoria cones, steep with straight or gently concave sides
Cinder
Mixed landform and associated with lava flows and pyroclastic rocks
Complex volcano
volcanic caldera that has been partially filled by a new central cone
Somma Volcano
Deep sea hydrothermal vents volcanic activities release dark colored smoke
black smokers
roughly circular holes where volcanic origin is postulated and no igneous rock can be found and may have been formed from igneous eruptions
Cryptovolcano
What is the first modern theory of landscape evolution?
Geographical Cycle
Who expounded the geographical cycle?
William Morris Davis
branch of geomorphology studies the form of the land surface
geomorphometry
processes driven by geologic forces
endogenic processes
processes driven by climatic forces
exogenic processes
rapid flow of soil and regolith containing large amount of water
debris flow
permanently frozen ground
permafrost
slow sliding of saturated soil and regolith that can involve permafrost beneath sliding layer
solifluction
known as explosion craters and are shallow craters caused by volcanic eruptions
Maar
looks like coiled rope
pahoehoe lava
spheroidal shaped solidified lava formed when underwater when magma rapidly cooled made contact with salt water
Pillow lava
large quantity of molten lava in a crater, vent, or other depression in the ground
Lava lake
Also called stream valves
Fumaroles
volcanic vents which emit volalite gases at high temperatures in powerful jets
fumaroles
what are the gases emitted by fumaroles
sulfuric dioxide, hydrochloric acid, and ammonium
valley glaciers leave mountains and spread on to a flat land as large lobes of spreading ice
piedmont
glacial ice covering high uplands areas
ice caps
u shaped feature created during glaciation when narrow valleys undergo a transformation as the glacier widens and deepens them
glacial trough
large valley glacier systems consists of cirques that feed ice into a large trunk glacier
hanging valley
focal point of the glacier’s growth because it is the area of the snow accumulation
cirque
crest of rock left after two adjacent glaciers have worn a steep ridge into the rock
arete
subparallel normal faults dipping towards each other blocks are bounded up
horst
accumulations of dirt and rockes that have fallen onto the glacier surface or have been pushed along by the glacier as it moves
moraine
present at high latitudes where the ocean is adjacent to the mountains
fjord
present at high latitudes where the ocean is adjacent to the mountains
fjord
rock outcrops that have been partially covered by ice caps due to topography
nunataks
form by the erosion of gently sloping beds
cuestas
rises some 1500 feet or more above its surroundings and has at least one steep side
plateau
rises some 1500 feet or more above its surroundings and has at least one steep side
forms from erosion attacks to form either a more or less straight front created by parallel retreat, or an irregular front with erosion scarps resulting from spring erosion or concentration of surface runoff
mesa
flat topped, steep sided towers of rock
butte
form due to the dissolution of carbonate rocks
cave
large flat plain of karst territory
polje
etched pitted grooved rugged surface formed from weathered limestone
lapies
separated from each other by swamps or alluvial plains
tower karst
terrain is approx equally shared by conical dolines and conical residual hills
cone karst
surface drainage patter first develops on a non soluble rock and later erodes into soluble rock when subsurface drainage totally defeats the surface flow
karst valley
closed cone or bowl shaped hollows and small or moderate depressions that forms from carbonate rocks
doline
large scale doline
uvalas
large isolated bodies of water forms due to water filling large depressions
lake
deposition bar or beach landform off coasts or lake shores
spit
bar that extends outward from the shore connecting an island
tombolo
extends outwards from the shoreline in a triangular shape that forms through accretion and progradation of sand and shingle
cuspate foreland
coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers
mudflat
forms from action of waves to unconsolidated sediments
rippies
deformed beds that rolled into small anticlines and sharp synclines formed due to the disturbance of paleocurrents
convulated beds
temporary islands in a braided river
braid bars
other term for braid bars
eyots
fluvial system consisting of a river, lagoon, and barriers
estuary
develops when channel leeve breaks and causes an overbank flooding
crevasse splay
stream channels with flat floors and steep walls of sediment usually found in deserts and other arid climates due to water less conditions
arroyo
circular holes that were caused by erosion due to the downward circular motion of eroding particles
potholes
circular holes that were caused by erosion due to the downward circular motion of eroding particles
potholes
sand seas or areas where there is high accumulation of sand
ergs
wind blown silts of different compositions
loess
areas where deep erosion of poorly consolidated rocks creates a landscape of steep slopes sparse vegetation and intricate stream networks
badlands
crescentic concave ridges created by the transportation and deposition of sediment with the slip face transverse to the wind
transverse dune
isolated long scoop shaped hollows or parabolas of sand with ends following the wind direction that forms due to sand blowouts and subsequent deposition
barchan dune
form in coastal areas where partial cover of vegetation a strong onshore wind and opposite of barchan
parabolic dune
form in coastal areas where partial cover of vegetation a strong onshore wind and opposite of barchan
parabolic dune
dunes with varying directions of ends that form from highly variable with direction
star dune
deflations where the topsoil or sand has been carried away by the wind
blowouts
intricately pitted rock surfaces that have often been attributed to wind abrasion
honeycomb structures
alcoves and niches in rock walls that may have been resulted from wind abrasion, where they are at the base of a cliff
wind caves
short flat topped sand ridges which extend parallel to the prevailing winds but lack the collapsing fonts
undulations
isolated rock islands formed due to its highly resistant nature
inselberg
streamlined wind sculped landform carved in soft rock by persistent winds in flat deserts parallel to prevailing winds
yardang
residual masses of weak rock capped with harder rock primarily formed by the wind action
pedestal rock
irregular shaped rock formation that is tall and pillar like
hoodoo
rocks that exhibit one or polished and faceted surfaces but these are rare because strong winds abundance of sand and absence of vegetation are essential to their best development
ventifact
german term for debris avalanche
sturzstrom
angle of reach or shadow angle
fahrboschung