Hydrosphere Unit Review Flashcards
Erosion
Mechanical and chemical of breaking down geosphere into smaller bits.
Deposition
Stage in erosion process, dropping down or depositing of rocks and minerals into new places.
Tides
Daily changes in the level of ocean water.
Currents
The streams of water that flow constantly on the ocean surface in definite directions.
Spring Tides
Occur during new and full moons. Have the greatest tidal range.
Neap Tide
Occur when the first and third quarters of the moon. Smallest tidal range.
Tidal range
Difference between the highest and lowest ocean level tides.
Porosity
Space available for liquids or gases to occupy.
Permeable
Ability of liquids or gases to move through.
Fluvial Processes
Physical interaction of flowing water and the natural channels of rivers and streams
Aquifers
Underground storages of water covered by layers of permeable rocks.
Recharge rate
Water that enters aquifers.
Groundwater
Freshwater below the ground.
Permafrost
Permanently frosted ground.
Cryosphere
Any part of the Earth covered by frozen water.
Paleoclimatology
Study of the Earth’s atmosphere in prehistoric time.
Headwaters
The source of a river, where it begins
Mouth
Where river ends, meet a larger body of water
Divide
Area of higher elevation that separate watersheds
Watershed
The area drained by a river system
Channel
The path that the river flows over
Tributaries
Stream or river that flows into a larger one
Confluence
The point where two rivers meet
Sinuous
Irregular curves, medium age river
Meandering
Slow, large curves, very low gradient, old
Braided
Large alluvium drop breaks up channels
Straight
Youngest river, near geologic faults
Ephemeral
Those that flow only during and after a precipitation event
Perennial
Rivers that flow year round
Intermittent
Rivers that stop flow at least 2 times in 5 years
Exotic
Those that start in one climate and end in a very dry area
Continental Ice Sheets
-Lots of ice covering non-mountainious land
-In Greenland & Antartica
Alpine Glaciers
-Ice that accumulates near the top of a mountain and flows downhill
-Reffered to as Valley Glaciers
Three Main Types of Categories for Uses of Water
- Agriculture
- Industrial
- Municipial
Gradient Formula
Rise/Run x 100
World’s Largest Watershed
Amazon Basin
Crevasses
Large cracks in ice that are formed by glacial movements
Ice Caps
Glaciers, found in mountains, but cover areas larger than a valley
Advancing Glaciers
When glaciers gain more mass over time than they lose they are called advanced glaciers
Glaciers fall downhill due to….
the gravitational force created by the weight of the ice
Discharge
The amount of water being carried at any given time by a river is called a discharge
Floodplain
The area of flat land vulnerable to flooding that surrounds a river called a floodplain
As we go deeper into the ocean….
temperatures decrease and pressure increases
Erosion causes rivers….
V-Shaped Valleys & Canyons
Deposition causes rivers….
Meanders & Deltas
Erosion causes groundwater…
Caves & Sinkholes
Deposition causes groundwater…
Stalagmites & Stalactites
Erosion causes glaciers….
Fjords & Aretes
Deposition causes glaciers…
Mardine & Erratics
