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GEOG272 > Midterm review > Flashcards

Midterm review Flashcards

1
Q

Label the following diagram…

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2
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Label the following diagram…

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3
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Label the following diagram…

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4
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Label the following diagram…

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5
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6
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7
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8
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Label the following diagram…

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9
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Label the following diagram…

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10
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Define geomorphology.

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Geomorphology is the study of the processes of the earth that lead to the change and formation of landforms. It proposes to explain the origins of landforms by examining known and theorized processes of the earth, like plate tectonics and volcanism, and the effects they have on landscapes over time.

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11
Q

What are the 5 fundamental principles of geomorphology?

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If we assume that geomorphology can be analyzed through processes, then we need to identify major patterns that enable processes to affect change on landscapes. These five major patterns are (1) equilibria, (2) interactions between energy, force, and resistance, (3) thresholds, (4) feedback mechanisms, and (5) time intervals. These five principles integrate together in various different ways when explaining any geomorphological process.

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12
Q

Explain continental drift in context of a couple of the 5 fundamental concepts of geomorphology.

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Continental drift can be explained as the action of a process - diastrophism - that maintains a dynamic equilibrium, so small changes occur all the time that build into an overall trend of change. If you view this over a small period of time, almost no change will have occurred. The continental shelf only shifts a couple centimetres each year, for example. However, viewed over the period of tens of thousands of years - or even longer - larger patterns begin to emerge. This is the role of time intervals.

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13
Q

Define the terms force and resistance in the context of geomorphology.

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Force vs resistance - in process geomorphology, we view processes harnessing a source of energy to alter a landscape to be exerting force on that landscape. How successfully and easily it modifies the landscape is a function of the landscape’s resistance to that force. In process geomorphology, landscapes represent the interaction between driving force and resistance.

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14
Q

Define thresholds in the context of geomorphology.

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Thresholds are the point at which forces, or stresses, can overcome the resistance of the landscape and begin to alter them. They come in the form of extrinsic thresholds, which represent outside increases in force to reach this point, as well as in intrinsic thresholds, which represent the weakening of resisting framework enabling forces to enact change on a landscape.

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15
Q

Define feedbacks in the context of geomorphology.

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Feedback represents the ways in which systems of processes react in changes to their environments. For example, in a negative feedback, the system will react to these changes so as to minimize those changes, and slow down further changes. A positive feedback loop will react to change in a way that encourages more change, and speeds the overall pattern of change.

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16
Q

What is the systems approach to geomorphology and geography? How does it help us?

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By breaking processes into sets of related systems, we can see the interactions between different parts of the earth and get a clearer picture of how the system works as a whole. Viewing the earth as a set of systems helps us better analyze and codify what we see in the real world.

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17
Q

What are the two major sources of energy that drive geomorphic processes?

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Exogenic vs endogenic sources of energy generate different sets of processes and contribute to different systems. Typically, exogenic sources of energy serve to promote planation, or the flattening of the landscape, through weathering, erosion, and other processes. Systems of wind, rainfall, weathering, and biological weathering like growth of roots can all be traced back to energy provided by the sun. Endogenic sources, on the other hand, usually serve to increase the relief of the landscape and generate new features in what’s termed uplift. Examples of endogenic processes would be volcanism or plate tectonics. These processes source their energy from the decay of radioactive materials or from the primordial heat of the earth.

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18
Q

Define endomorphic processes and give some brief examples with explanations.

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Processes that originate due to the earth’s residual energy. For example, volcanism or plate tectonics.

19
Q

What kinds of things did we study about rocks and minerals in class? What are rocks and minerals?

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What kinds of rocks are there? (The rock cycle.) What is the definition of a mineral? (A chemical species that forms in rock under certain conditions, and which it is often desirable to extract and isolate.)

20
Q

What are the distinct layers of the earth’s surface, at both small and large scales?

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Small (soils and regoliths) and large (crust, mantle and core), review diagrams for more info

21
Q

What are the two theories about the way in which the earth’s continents float on the mantle?

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Airy hypothesis - the earth’s crust pieces float on top of the mantle like pieces of wood - they have the same density but different masses. They float at different levels. VS Pratt hypothesis - the pieces float on the mantle at a uniform baseline level, but rise different amounts depending on their ratio of density to mass, which relates to their height and size. The pieces have different densities, but the same mass.

22
Q

What is diastrophism?

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A synonym for the word tectonics, diastrophism is the study of the movement and interactions between the earth’s plates. These plates bump into, compress, stretch, go under, brush against, and even fold over one another. Diastrophism is an umbrella term for all of these processes involving interactions between different tectonic plates.

23
Q

Give a brief overview of volcanism and igneous intrusions.

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Volcanism is an umbrella term for the movement of magma from the asthenosphere and mantle upwards towards the crust and surface of the earth. This magma can infiltrate into various layers of rock far into the crust, leaving intrusions of foreign igneous rock. The magma chamber, or batholith, is the area below the solid layers of crust where the rock is primarily in the form of magma. This magma can flow up to form diverse structures like laccoliths, dikes, or other intrusions.

24
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Give a brief overview of weathering and soils.

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Weathering is a set of processes, both mechanical/physical and chemical, that result in the breakdown of rocks into smaller and less resistance pieces, or new and less resistant materials. The soil is a layer of heavily weathered rock and broken down organic matter that contains many minerals and nutrients important for the growth of plant life.

25
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What are “material properties” in the context of geomorphology?

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Material properties are the set of properties that allow us to classify and determine the level of resistance we can expect from a type of rock or a type of soil. The Mohs hardness scale for minerals, clast size and cohesion of soil, type of rock (sedimentary vs metamorphic or igneous) and more can help us determine the level of resistance to force a rock will exhibit.

26
Q

True or false? Weathering involves erosion of bedrock.

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F, weathering is distinct from erosion because weathering is in situ.

27
Q

True or false? Weathering is divided into groups of chemical and mechanical processes

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T

28
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True or false? Both forms of weathering go on at the same time.

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T

29
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True or false? Solution is a chemical weathering process.

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T

30
Q

True or false? The layer of weathered material is referred to as soil.

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T

31
Q

Fill in the blanks… Tectonic landforms related to diastrophism are due to stresses that build up in the Earth’s crust during continental drift and isostacy. The three types of stress or force included are: (1), (2), and (3). Folds are produced by (4) forces or stresses. The crest of a fold is called a(n) (5) and the trough is called a(n) (6). Folds can be classified based on shape, three types of folds include (7), (8) and (9). Folds that include a fault are called (10).

A

Tectonic landforms related to diastrophism are due to stresses that build up in the Earth’s crust during continental drift and isostacy. The three types of stress or force included are: (1) compression, (2) tension, and (3) shearing. Folds are produced by (4) compression forces or stresses. The crest of a fold is called a(n) (5) anticline and the trough is called a(n) (6) syncline. Folds can be classified based on shape, three types of folds include (7) symmetrical, (8) asymmetrical and (9) overturned. Folds that include a fault are called (10) recumbent.

32
Q

Define the following term… Isostacy

A

Isostacy is the set of theories relating to the density and mass of the pieces of the earth’s crust that float upon the mantle (or asthenopshere), and what determines the height of these pieces. The metaphor of wood blocks floating in water is often used to explain these theories. The Airy hypothesis is that the density of all the pieces is the same, but the mass differs, leading to different height because of the mass. The Pratt hypothesis is that the mass of all the pieces is the same, but the density differs, and though the “blocks” all float with a similar baseline height below, they have different heights because of their differing density/mass ratio.

33
Q

Define the following term… Plate tectonics

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A domain of geomorphology concerned with studying the pieces of the earth’s crust, how they float on the mantle, how they move over time, and how they interact with one another.

34
Q

Define the following term(s)… divergent and convergent margins

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A divergent margin is a place where new crust is being created - two pieces of crust move outwards from the point of divergence. A convergent margin is a place where crust is moving into another piece of crust, pushing both of them back down to the mantle where they can be returned to magma as part of the rock cycle.

35
Q

Define the following term(s)… strength

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In the context of geomorphology, resistance to environmental forces that would cause change.

36
Q

Define the following term(s)… joints

A

Lines of weakness in a piece or sheet of rock, along which resistance is lowered and weathering processes are more effective.

37
Q

Define the following term(s)… cohesion

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A material property of soil involving its ability to “clump” together. It determines a soil’s infiltration capacity.

38
Q

Define the following term(s)… spalling

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A weathering process which involves the flaking off of small pieces of rock from a larger rock.

39
Q

Define the following term(s)… normal stress

A

The portion of gravitational force experienced by a rock (or other object) as it rolls down an incline which pulls it into the incline, as opposed to the shear component, which pulls it down the incline.

40
Q

Define the following term(s)… exfoliation

A

A weathering process that results in the removal of sheets of rock from a larger piece of rock, kind of like peeling an onion.

41
Q

Define the following term(s)… static friction

A

Friction that acts to keep still objects from beginning to move. It is stronger than kinetic friction, which is friction that removes kinetic energy from objects that are already moving and sliding over a surface. Both of these types of friction are dependent on the types of materials in contact with one another and the amount of surface area in contact.

42
Q

Define the following term(s)… solution

A

A weathering process where minerals are dissolved into an environmental solvent, like rain or other sources of water.

43
Q

Define the following term(s)… slope

A

The relief of the landscape; the rate at which altitude increases or decreases over a piece of land.

GEOG272 (2 decks)

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