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Topographical Terms Flashcards

1
Q

Spur

A

Running downslope from each hill along a ridge

  • Also known as fingers
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2
Q

Ridge

A

A series of connected hills; a linear mass

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3
Q

Hill

A

A point or small area of high ground

  • Slopes down in all directions from the top
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4
Q

Saddle

A

A dip or low point or break along the crest of a ridge

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5
Q

Pass

A

A saddle deep enough to allow passage through a ridge

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6
Q

Valley

A

Reasonably level ground bordered on the sides by higher ground

  • Also called Gully
  • Can be v-shaped or u-shaped
  • May or may not contain a stream
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7
Q

Depression

A

A low point or hole in the ground

  • Good example is rock quarry
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8
Q

Draw

A

Cut running down the side of a ridge line

  • Less developed valley
  • Generally no level ground
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9
Q

Cliff

A

A vertical or near vertical slope

  • May be shown on a map as contour lines close together, touching, or by a ticked contour line
  • Tick marks always point toward lower ground
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10
Q

Accretion

A

The gradual increase in land by natural forces over time

  • Opposite of erosion
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11
Q

Alpine

A

A lofty mountainous system

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12
Q

Aquifer

A

A saturated, permeable sediment or rock that can transmit significant quantities of water under hydraulic gradients

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13
Q

Atoll

A

A coral reef appearing in plain view that encircles a lagoon

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14
Q

Lagoon

A

A shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by reefs, barrier islands, or a barrier peninsula

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15
Q

Backshore

A

The upper portion of a beach above the high tide water line

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16
Q

Backslope

A

The steepest, generally linear, middle portion of the slope

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17
Q

Backswamp

A
  • A floodplain landform
  • Extensive, marshy or swampy depressed areas of floodplains between natural levees and valley sides or terraces
  • Not water enough to be a river, but enough to be a pain
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18
Q

Escarpment

A

A relatively continuous and steep slope or cliff produced by erosion or faulting

  • Interrupts the or breaks the general continuity of more gently sloping land surfaces
  • Slopes of mesas
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19
Q

Badlands

A

Area with steep, rocky formations and near zero vegetation

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20
Q

Bar

A

A ridge like accumulation of sand or gravel on the banks or at the mouth of a moving body of water

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21
Q

Barchan Dune

A
  • Crescent shaped dune with tips extending downwind

- Tend to arrange in chains extending in dominant wind direction

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22
Q

Barrier Beach

A

A sandy linear landmass lying near shore to the main shore, but not significant enough to be considered an island

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23
Q

Barrier Island

A

A long, thin island lying near the main shore

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24
Q

Cove

A

A small, narrowly sheltered bay, inlet creek, or recess of an estuary

  • Often inside a larger embayment
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25
Q

Embayment

A

A recess in a coastline forming a bay

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26
Q

Basin

A

A low area where water or sediments have accumulated

  • Between surrounding high ground
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27
Q

Bay

A

A wide, curving indentation, recess, or arm of a sea/lake

  • Larger than a cove, smaller than a gulf
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28
Q

Bayou

A

A creek or secondary watercourse that is tributary to another body of water

  • Particularly a sluggish or stagnant stream following a winding course through wetlands
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29
Q

Bedrock

A

The solid rock that underlies the soil and other un consolidated material

  • Can be exposed at the surface
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30
Q

Berm

A

A low, impermanent, nearly horizontal or landward sloping shelf, ledge, or narrow terrace

  • Typically refers to backshore of a beach where material thrown up by storm waves has accumulated
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31
Q

Blind Valley

A

A valley that ends abruptly downstream at the point where it’s stream disappears underground

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32
Q

Bluff

A

A rounded cliff face or other bold headland overlooking a plain or body of water

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33
Q

Bog

A

Waterlogged, spongy ground

  • Consists primarily of mosses, containing acidic decaying vegetation that may develop into peat
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34
Q

Breaklands

A

An assemblage of very steep, high relief slopes flanking major rivers and streams in mountainous terrain

  • Form the walls of a v-shaped river valley
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35
Q

Brook

A

A very small, ephemeral stream, especially one that issues from a spring or seep

  • Smaller than a creek
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36
Q

Caldera

A

A large, more or less circular depression formed by an explosion or collapse

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37
Q

Canyon

A

A long, deep, narrow, very steep sided valley cut primarily in bedrock with a perennial stream at the bottom

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38
Q

Captured Stream

A

A stream whose course has been diverted into another stream by natural processes

39
Q

Channel

A

A waterway between two land masses

40
Q

Cliff

A

Any high, very steep to perpendicular or overhanging face of rock or earth

  • A precipice
41
Q

Climbing Dune

A

A dune formed by the piling up of sand by wind against a cliff or mountain slope

42
Q

Coastal Plain

A

A low, generally broad plain that gently slopes toward oceanic shore

  • Generally was once sea floor
  • Example is southeastern US from Texas to New Jersey
43
Q

Col

A

A steep, deep pass or abrupt saddle through a ridge

44
Q

Crag

A

A steep, jagged cliff or rock face

45
Q

Creek

A

A small, intermittent stream larger than a break but smaller than a river

46
Q

Degradation

A

Wearing down, general lowering of the land surface by natural processes

47
Q

Delta

A

Fan-shaped deposit at or near the mouth of a river or stream entering a quiet lake or ocean

48
Q

Delta Plain

A

Level surface composing the landward part of a large delta

  • Flood plain
  • Repeated channel bifurcation and divergence
49
Q

Ditch

A

An open and unlined channel or trench excavated to convey water for drainage or irrigation

  • Smaller than a canal
50
Q

Dune

A

A mound of sand formed by the wind, usually along a beach or desert

  • Formed when wind blows sand into a sheltered area behind an obstacle
51
Q

Ephemeral Stream

A

A stream that only flows in response to precipitation

52
Q

Estuary

A

A partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers/streams flowing into it

  • Transition zone between river and sea
53
Q

Everglades

A

A large expanse of marshy land, covered mostly by grass

54
Q

Fall Line

A

The point where a waterfall begins

55
Q

Fault

A

A fracture between two rock masses

56
Q

Finger Ridge

A

Tertiary spur ridges, like ribs off a spine

57
Q

Fjord

A

A long, deep, narrow body of water that reaches deep inland

  • Formed by glaciers
  • Often in U-shaped valleys with steep walls
58
Q

Flat

A

An area of nearly level surface

59
Q

Flood Plain

A

A nearly level plain that floods under heavy rain

60
Q

Fluvial

A

Pertaining to rivers or streams

61
Q

Foothills

A

Steeply sloping hills at the fringe of larger mountains or escarpments

62
Q

Gap

A

A sharp break or opening in a mountain edge

63
Q

Glade

A

A large treeless, grassy clearing within a forest

64
Q

Gorge

A

A narrow, deep valley with nearly vertical rocky walls, but smaller than a canyon

65
Q

Gulf

A

Largest type of inlet to the sea

  • Larger and more enclosed than a bay
66
Q

Gully

A

A small channel with steep sides

67
Q

Guy

A

A tidal stream connecting two larger waterways

68
Q

Head

A

The source or uppermost part of a stream

69
Q

Hill

A

Elevated area 30-300m tall

70
Q

Horn

A

A high, rocky, steep sided mountain peak

71
Q

Inlet

A

A small, narrow waterway connecting a bay, lagoon, or similar body of water

72
Q

Intertidal

A

The coastal area between high and low tide

73
Q

Island

A

An area of land completely surrounded by water

74
Q

Knob

A

A rounded eminence

75
Q

Knoll

A

A small, rounded hill rising among adjacent landforms

76
Q

Lagoon

A

A shallow stretch of salt or brackish water, partly or completely separated from or lake by a reef or other landmass

77
Q

Ledge

A

A narrow shelf or projection of rock on a wall or cliff face

78
Q

Levee

A

A natural or artificial embankment

  • Built to protect inland from the sea
79
Q

Lowland

A

Term for the lowest areas in the lands you are referring to

80
Q

Marsh

A

Periodically wet or continually flooded areas

81
Q

Mesa

A

An isolated, flat top landform standby distinctly above surrounding areas

82
Q

Mound

A

A rounded hill <3m high

83
Q

Nearshore Zone

A

A subaqueous area that parallels the shore, extending out from the low waterline to beyond the breakers and sand bars

84
Q

Outcrop

A

Something that is exposed or poking out at the surface

85
Q

Oxbow

A

A closely looping stream

86
Q

Peak

A

The highest point of a mountain or ridge

87
Q

Peninsula

A

Land surrounded by water on three sides

88
Q

Piedmont

A

A plain or slope at the base of a mountain

89
Q

Pinnacle

A

A spire shaped pillar of rock

90
Q

Pond

A

Body of water smaller than a lake but larger than a pool

91
Q

Ravine

A

A small, strap sided stream channel

92
Q

Shoal

A

The shallow portion of a stream, lake, or sea

  • Usually lined by sand
93
Q

Sound

A

A long, narrow waterway connecting two larger bodies of water

  • Straight

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