Geomorphology and Hydrology Flashcards
What is a glacier?
A giant body of ice that moves under its own weight
What is solifluction?
Fluxion of soil due to perma frost
How much carbon is stored in perma frost?
17,000 GT
What are endogenic processes?
Forces the cause movements beneath of at the earth’s surface
Exogenic processes
External processes that shape the land.
What is erosion?
Processes the pick-up particles
What is weathering?
Processes the break down rocks
What causes erosion?
More energy in the ground than soil
What causes deposition?
More sediment than energy
What is a hydrograph?
Graph of the water in a river over time
What lag time causes a flood
Short lag time - ie, small sponge capacity
What is discharge?
Quantity of water over time
What is mass wasting?
Downslope movement of rock, regolith, soil under the influence of gravity
What classifies a mass wasting event?
Type of material and the type of motion of the material.
What is the weather?
Day to day change in the climate
What is the climate?
Weather over time
What causes seasonal changes?
Sun intensity (insolation) and reach
What is the greenhouse effect?
Incoming shortwave radiation is trapped and is re-radiated to the earth.
What is a monsoon?
Seasonal changes in the ppt and atmospheric circulation
Where is there more moisture?
In the lowest layers of the earth
What causes a convective cloud?
Air rises of its own accord
What causes a frontal cloud?
Masses of air meet which are different temperatures.
What causes wind?
Pressure
What direction does wind flow?
From high pressure (Cold) to low pressure environments (Warm)
What is the Coriolis effect?
Deflection of the wind over the earth.
What is a cyclone?
Large storm
What is a storm
An area of concentrated convection with ppt and strong winds.
What is advection?
Horizontal convection
What is the saturation vapor pressure?
The maximum water vapor that air can hold
What is a semiriad climate?
Strong heat capable of supporting vegetation in an environment
What factors affect air temperatures?
Topography, orientation and proximity to oceans. Affected largely by solar shortwaves.
