Test on Weathering, Erosion, Glaciers, etc. Flashcards
A combination of constructive and destructive processes produce ________
landforms
__________ processes build up features on Earth’s surface
constructive
_______ processes tear down features on Earth’s surface.
destructive
_______ is the breakdown of rock
weathering
______ weathering breaks rock into pieces without changing the chemical composition of the rocks
physical
______ weathering alters the chemical composition of rock.
chemical
water, wind, and ice are ________, or causes, of weathering.
agents
A rock’s resistance to weathering is based on its _____ composition
mineral
_____ is the removal of weathered material from one location to another
erosion
The ______ of erosion can be affected by factors such as weather, climate, topography, and type of rock
rate
Erosion occurs _____ on barren land than on land covered with vegetation
faster
Agents of erosion can move smaller pieces of rock ______than they can move larger pieces of rock.
faster
The ________ a piece of rock is, the more its sharp edges have been broken off during erosion.
more rounded
If a pile of sediment erodes quickly, it is _______ likely to be well sorted than if the piles erodes slowly.
less
Running water, wind, glaciers, and gravity lay down sediments during _______
deposition
Deposition occurs as the agents of deposition slow down and ______ energy
lose
The location where sediment is deposited is called the ______
depositional environments
In a(n) _______-energy depositional environment, sediment is transported quickly
high
In a(n) ________-energy depositional environment, even small sediments get deposited
low
Sediments deposited in water usually form layers called ______
beds
Features such as structure, elevation, and rock exposure give clues about how a(n) _____ formed
landforms
Tall, jagged structures are usually formed by ______
erosion
Low or flat landforms are often formed by _____
deposition
At the base of a mountain slope, in a gentle valley, a stream will deposit an apron of sediment called a(n) _______
alluvial fan
A(n) ______ in the width or depth of a river channel can slow down the current and cause the river to deposit sediments.
increase
Deposition in a riverbed occurs where the speed of the water ______
slows
As glaciers melt, they can create deposits called eskers and _______
moraines
____ is the downhill movement of a large mass of rocks or soil because of the pull of gravity.
mass wasting
Mass wasting usually occurs on the side of a hill when the soil is _______
soaked with rainwater
Thick ______ on slopes can help prevent mass wasting.
vegetation
A(n) ______ is the rapid downhill movement of soil, loose rocks, and boulders
landslide
In landslides, such as mudslides and ______, soil moves in a large mass
rockfalls
Erosion is most destructive when a landslide occurs on a(n) _____ slope
steep
Erosion due to mass wasting continues as long as the force of _______ is greater than other forces holding rock and soil in place
gravity
The material from a(n) ______ eventually comes to rest, usually in a flat place
mass wasting event
_____ is a pile of angular rocks and sediment from a rockfall
Talus
Building on a steep slope can _____ the chances that mass wasting will occur. Removing ______ from a slope and using heavy ________ promote mass wasting
affect
vegetation
machines
A(n) _______ is a large mass of ice that formed on land and moves slowly across Earth’s surface
glacier
Glaciers form where the amount of snowfall is ______ than the amount of snow melt
greater
________ glaciers form in mountains
Alpine
_______ cover large areas of land and move outward from central locations
Ice Sheets
Glaciers cause _____ as they move, with rocks frozen in the ice, carving grooves in underlying surfaces of Earth. Glacial erosion can cause sharp rides called ______ and carve out U-shaped and hanging ______
erosion
arete
valleys
Glaciers _____ material when they melt, either when they flow downhill to warmer places or when the climate gets warmer
deposit
______ is a mixture of various sizes of sediment deposited by a glacier
Till
A mound or ridge of unsorted sediment deposited by a glacier is a(n) ______
moraine
_____ is layered sediment deposited by streams of water that flow from a melting glacier. It is mainly well-sorted ______ and gravel
Outwash
sand
______ is the gradual increase in Earth’s average temperature
global warming
______ activities contribute to global warming
human
Because of global warming, glaciers have been melting, which leads to a(n) ______ in sea level
increase
Destructive processes, such as _______ and _______, often produce tall, jagged landforms
weathering
erosion
Constructive processes, such as ______, often produce flat, low-lying landforms
deposition
_______ and wind are important agents of weathering, erosion, and deposition
Water
The ______ of water movement and the depositional environment often affect the shape of landforms
speed
The erosion produced by a stream depends on the stream’s _______
energy
A young stream in a(n) _____ area has the most energy
steep, mountainous
As a stream ______, it gets slower and develops curves
matures
A(n) _______ is a broad C-shaped curve in a stream
meander
A(n) _______ stream flows slowly when it reaches flat land.
old
Currents and waves constantly cause _____ erosion.
coastal
A(n) _____ flows parallel to a shoreline along the coast.
longshore
A longshore current moves ______ and changes the size and shape of beaches
sediment
Coastal erosion can be due to ______, which carve out caves, pillars, and arches in rock
waves
Acidic water carves out spaces in underground rock, forming ______
caves
Flowing water deposits ______as the water slows
sediment
A stream slows when it reaches ____ land or a(n) _____ body of water
flat
large
A(n) ______ is a large deposit of sediment that forms where a stream enters a large body of water
delta
______ transport the sand along ocean coasts, depositing sand where currents are slower and have less ______
longshore currents
energy
Structures in caves that form by deposition from cave ceilings and floors are _______ and ________
stalactites
stalagmites
Damage caused by water erosion can be affected by the way people use ______
land
To reduce beach erosion, people sometimes build retaining walls or _______, which trap sediments and reduce erosive effects of longshore currents
groins
A(n) ______ is a wide, flat are next to a river that usually remains dry
floodplain
A(n) _______- a long low ridge of soil along a river- can decrease flooding on a floodplain
levee
_____ is the grinding away of rock or other surfaces as particles carried by wind, water, or ice scrape against them
Abrasion
A(n) _______ is a pile of windblown sand
dune
_____ is a crumbly, windblown deposit of silt and clay
loess
People can ______ the effects of wind erosion by planting rows of trees at the edge of farm fields to slow wind
slow
What are the different ways rock is weathered?
2 ways
Chemical weathering and mechanical weathering
Chemical can be caused by acid rain and water. Most minerals dissolve in water. Chemical weathering changes the composition of rocks. Acid forming chemicals are in the air and cause acid rain to happen. Oxidation also causes chemical weathering.
mechanical weathering when physical processes naturally break rocks into smaller pieces. intense temperature cause rocks to expand and crack. plant roots growing. animals burrowing.
What are the causes of physical and chemical weathering?
Chemical weathering and physical weathering
Chemical can be caused by acid rain and water. Most minerals dissolve in water. Chemical weathering changes the composition of rocks. Acid forming chemicals are in the air and cause acid rain to happen. Oxidation also causes chemical weathering.
physical weathering when physical processes naturally break rocks into smaller pieces. intense temperature cause rocks to expand and crack. plant roots growing. animals burrowing.
What are the causes of ice wedging?
When water gets in cracks in rocks and freezes it expands causing the crack in the rock to expand as well. when the ice melts a large crack is left.
What are the causes of wind abrasion?
When rocks rub against each other and become rounded it is called abrasion. Abrasion is the grinding away of rock or other surfaces as particles carried by wind, water, or ice scrape against them.
How does an alluvial fan form?
When a stream flows from a steep, narrow canyon onto a flat plain at the foot of a mountain it deposits sediment causing an alluvial fan to form.
How does a sinkhole form?
When an underground cave forms the surface above it falls in causing a sinkhole to form.
How does a continental glacier form?
Ice sheets only exist in Antarctica and Greenland today. Ice sheets cover large areas of land and move outward from central locations. Ice sheets form where there is more snowfall than snow melt.
How does an alpine glacier form?
An alpine glaciers forms when there is more snow fall than snow melt. They form in mountains and flow downhill.
What causes mass movements?
Gravity is the main cause of mass movements. When there is a steep hill that is wet, with loose soil, and little or no vegetation it is more likely that a mass movement will occur.
What is a loess made from?
A loess is a crumbly, windblown deposit of silt and clay.
What causes landfalls?
Landslides are caused by gravity and loose sediment and dirt. A landslide is the rapid downhill movement of soil, loose rocks, and boulders.
What causes creep?
When material moves too slowly to be noticeable, causing trees and other objects to lean over, the event is called a creep.
What causes rockfalls?
Rockfalls are caused by falling rock caused by gravity and unstable rock falling
What are the different layers of soil horizons?
A Horizon- Contains organic matter from the decay of roots and the action of soil makes this horizon excellent for plant growth. Usually a darker color.
B Horizon- Made up of clay.
C Horizon- Made up of weathered parent material.
O Horizon-Top organic layer
R Horizon- Un-weathered bedrock
How is humus formed?
When plant and animal matter decays humus forms
How is pore space and porosity formed?
All rocks have pores. Pores are the spaces in the rock that the water flows through. Porosity is the measure of how much water flows through the pores.
Define weathering
The mechanical and chemical processes that change objects on Earth’s surface over time
Define mechanical weathering
When physical processes naturally break rocks into smaller pieces
Define chemical weathering
Changes the materials that are part of a rock into new materials
Define oxidation
Combines the element oxygen with other elements or molecules
Define soil
a mixture of weathered rock, rock fragments, decayed organic matter, water, and air
Define organic matter
the remains of something that was once alive
Define pores
small holes and spaces in rocks
Define decomposition
the process of changing once living material into dark colored organic matter
Define inorganic
materials that have never been alive
Define parent material
the starting material of soil
Define climate
the average weather of an area
Define topography
the shape and steepness of the landscape
Define biota
all of the organisms that live in a region
Define horizons
layers of soil formed from the movement of the products of weathering
What are agents of weathering
water, wind, and ice
what causes rate of weathering?
chemical makeup of rock
Define erosion
the removal of weathered material from one location to another
Define deposition
the laying down or settling of eroded material
what is a depositional environment?
where sediment is deposited
high-energy quick
low-energy slow
what are sediment beds?
sediment deposited in water typically form beds
what type of landforms are formed by erosion?
tall and jagged such as hoodoos. (a.k.a. aliens)
What type of landforms are formed by deposition?
flat and lowlying
Define meander
A broad, C-shaped curve in a stream
Define longshore current
a current that flows parallel to the shoreline
Define delta
a large deposit of sediment that forms where a stream enters a large body of water
what is a floodplain?
a large flat area next to a ricer
Define abrasion
the grinding away of rock or other surfaces as particles carried by wind, water, or ice scrape against them
Define dune
a large windblown pile of sand
Define loess
a crumbly, windblown deposit of silt and clay
Define mass wasting
the downhill movement of a large mass of rocks or soil because of the pull of gravity
Define landslide
the rapid downhill movement of soil, loose rocks, and boulders
Define talus
a pile of angular rocks and sediment from a rockfall
Define glacier
a large mass of ice that formed on land and moves slowly across Earth’s surface
Define till
a mixture of various sizes of sediment deposited by a glacier
Define moraine
a mound or ridge of unsorted sediment deposited by a glacier
Define outwash
layered sediment deposited by streams of water that flow from a melting glacier
do we affect glaciers
yeah we contribute to global warming
