test 3 Flashcards
What are the four major types of weathering? Give an example of each
- physical - pot holes
- chemical - rusting
- mechanical - rock fall
- organic - earth worms
What are outcomes of weathering?
Rocks can become more rounded and outside surfaces more weathered than inside
How can weathering be seen in human structures?
- breakup of concrete
- breakdown of tombstones
- rearrangement by roots growing
- formation of soil
Name and describe the four types of erosion
- gravity - produces smaller rocks with sharp edges
- running water- many rocks will be rounded, material is commonly sorted by size
- wind - picks up and moves grains, like sand at the beach
- ice and glaciers - as glaciers move by gravity it pushes rock underneath
How are natural bridges, caves, and karst part of the erosion process?
some material is softer, so it is weathered and eroded first, other material left behind
What is soil?
weathered material in which plants can grow
Name and describe the four components of soil
- minerals - the particles that make up the soil
- organic material - leaves, dead organisms, roots
- water - percolates the soil from the surface
- air - pore spaces in the soil
What processes are part of soil development?
- physical and chemical weathering of rocks
- organic material added with decomposition
- introduced by erosion, transport, deposition
How does leaching and accumulation influence each soil type?
- lateritic - where there is much water that flows through soils and out remaining are non water soluble minerals
- pedaler - seasonal and moderate rains allow for some water to percolate from surface further down into area of accumulation
- pedocal - not much water, thus minerals do not percolate thorough soil much
Describe lateritic, pedalfer, and pedocal soils
- lateritic - formed in the tropics
- pedalfer- formed in temporal areas
- pedocal - formed in dry climates
Which soil type is common in South Carolina?
pedalfer
What is soil texture?
Size of the particles, sand, silt, and clay
Relative to soil texture, what is the composition of loam?
40% sand 40% silt 20% clay
What are the two major components of soil erosion?
detachment and transportation
How are detachment and transportation accomplished?
detachment - result of weathering
transportation - moving of the material
Erosion may occur due to rock failures. How are they classified?
- rock or debris fall
- rockslides
- rotational slides
Where on earth is water detected?
Ocean, atmosphere, ground water, rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, and glaciers
In what form is most of the earths water
liquid in the ocean
Describe the water cycle (be able to label)
evaporation - condensation - precipitation - percolation - runoff
In what major ways do we use water?
- electric generation
- irrigation
- domestic use
- industrial
What is the expression stream discharge and how is it calculated?
amount of water moving in the stream - width x depth x velocity
What is watershed?
area that drains to specific location
How can particles move within a stream or river?
- traction - large objects rolling only with stronger currents
- saltation - bounces along, such as with sand and gravel
- suspension - such as clay and silt, can move with slow current eventually settles out
- solution - completely in water and moved to where ever the water goes
What is a streams bedload?
the amount of material moved
How is a streams gradient calculated?
vertical change divided by horizontal distance
What changes are seen in a stream or river from the mountains to the coast?
- water velocity - faster in mountains
- discharge - larger near coast
- channel size - larger near coast
- total sediment - picked up in mountains, deposited near coast
How do braided rivers develop?
sediment being deposited and water having to go around it
What is a meander?
curves in a river
What are the causes of a meander?
the outside of the curve moves faster causing erosion, the inside moves slower where sediment is deposited making curves stronger
What are characteristics of a mountain stream?
- high gradient
- fast velocity
- erosion
- altering pool and riffles
What are characteristics of a coastal river?
- low gradient
- low velocity
- lots of sediment
- creates floodplain
What is groundwater?
any free water below the surface, it is due to percolation
How do porosity and permeability influence an aquifer?
- porosity is the amount of space between particles so more space more water can flow through
- permeability is the ability of water to move through the soil so if more water can move aquifer will be larger
