Natural Resources and Changes to Earth's Surface Flashcards
deposition
the action of depositing something such as sand, snow, or mud
erosion
the wearing away and transportaion of the earth’s surface by wind or water
glacier
a very large sheet or block of slow moving ice
landform
a natural feature of the Earth’s surface such as a mountain or valley
sediment
material deposited by water, wind, or ice such as rock or sand
soil
the thin layer of material covering the Earth’s surface
weathering
the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on Earth’s surface
canyon
a deep valley with steep sides often carved from the earth by a river V shape
delta
a piece of land shaped like a triangle that is formed when a river splits into smaller rivers before it flows into an ocean
sand dune
a sand hill created by the wind
U-shaped valley
valley formed by glaciers
V-shaped valley
valey formed by rivers
coal
a black, hard substance found within the earth that is used as a fuel
conservation
the protection of animals, plants, and natural resources
natural gas
a gas that is taken from under the ground and used as fue
nonrenewable resources
a resource, that when it is used up, will not exist again during a human lifetime
petroleum / oil
a kind of oil that comes from below the ground and that is the source of gasoline and other products
recycle
to reuse a resource by breaking it down and using it to make a new product
renewable resources
a resource that can be replaced within a human lifetime
cementation
The process in which minerals precipitate into pore spaces between sediment grains and bind sediments together to form rock.
clay
a fine-grained soil material that is soft when it is wet and hard when it is dry
compaction
The process by which sediments are pressed together under their own weight.
components of soil
Soil is a material composed of five ingredients — minerals, soil organic matter, living organisms, gas, and water
decompose
decay, rot, breaking down into
gravel
the upper layer of soil in which plants have most of their roots
hummus
a material that is made up of partly decayed leaves and plants
loam
a rich, easily crumbled soil made up of silt, sand, clay, and organic matter
nutrient
a substance that plants, animals, and people need to live and grow
particle
The individual pieces of soil. Classified as sand, silt or clay.
properties of soil
color, texture, structure, and acidity of soil
retain
to hold or keep
sedimentary rock
formed from sediment grains deposited by water, wind or ice
silt
the sand, soil, and mud that is carried by flowing water and sinks to the bottom of a river or pond
texture
the way that something feels when you touch it
topsoil
the upper layer of soil in which plants have most of their roots
