Terms And Definitions (Physical)

Question 1

Evapotranspiration

Answer 1

The loss of water from leaves, from water which has evaporated

Question 2

Groundwater flow

Answer 2

Water moving within rocks underground

Question 3

Infiltration

Answer 3

Water being soaked in the soul air pockets from the surface

Question 4

Overland flow surface run-off

Answer 4

Water flowing over the surface due to saturation/ impermeable land etc

Question 5

Percolation

Answer 5

Water moving from surface layers of soil in deeper layers of soil/ rock

Question 6

Precipitation

Answer 6

Moisture in the atmosphere in the form of eg snow, rain, sleet etc

Question 7

Runoff

Answer 7

Precipitation falls straight onto the earths surface

Question 8

Stemflow

Answer 8

Flowing water through plants, down their stem

Question 9

Throughfall

Answer 9

Water falling directly into river

Question 10

Throughflow

Answer 10

Water flowing through the soil

Question 11

Condensation

Answer 11

Water vapour changing into water due to a decrease in temperature

Question 12

Transpiration

Answer 12

Transpiration is essentially evaporation of water from plant leaves.

Question 13

Evaporation

Answer 13

Water changing into water vapour

Question 14

Traction

Answer 14

Large stones and boulders are rolled along the river bed by water moving downstream

Question 15

Saltation

Answer 15

Small stones bounce or leapfrog along the channel bed

Question 16

Suspension

Answer 16

Very small particles of sand and silt are carried along by the flow of the river

Question 17

Solution

Answer 17

Dissolved minerals are transported within the mass of the moving water

Question 18

Capacity

Answer 18

A measure of the amount of material a river can carry

Question 19

Competence

Answer 19

The diameter of the largest particle that it can carry for a given velocity

Question 20

Cavitation

Answer 20

When bubbles form in the water as velocity increases and pressure falls. If the bubbles implode, tiny jets of water are evicted which can hit the bed and banks at speeds of up to 130 meters per second

Question 21

Consolidated

Answer 21

A material with no airspaces, so that you cant pick up a single grain eg clay

Question 22

Deposition

Answer 22

The laying down of solid material on the bed of the river or on the sea floor

Question 23

Erosion

Answer 23

The breakup of rocks by the action of rock particles being moved over the earth’s surface by water, wind and ice

Question 24

Transportation

Answer 24

The movement of particles from the place they were eroded to the place where they are deposited

Question 25

Abrasion (corrasion)

Answer 25

The scraping, scouring and rubbing action of materials carried along by a river (the load)

Question 26

Hydraulic action

Answer 26

Caused by the sheer power of moving water

Question 27

Corrosion

Answer 27

The minerals in the rock are dissolved by weak acids in the river water and carried away in solution

Question 28

Attrition

Answer 28

The reduction in the size of fragments and particles within a river due to the processes of erosion

Question 29

Vertical erosion

Answer 29

Creates steep sided valleys- the river attempts to cut down to its base level

Question 30

Lateral erosion

Answer 30

Happens in the middle and lower stretches of the river, where they valley floor lies closer to sea level