Topography, Geology, Hydrology, Climate, Microclimate Flashcards
(4) Key attributes that may be derived from a topo survey / map
Elevation
Slope
Aspect
Drainage patterns
This feature of topography has greatest impact on site insolation; will also influence microclimate
Aspect
Part of every watershed; dry or semi-dry land area where water collects when it rains; typically found near rivers, lakes, coasts and depressions; provides temporary natural storage of runoff; serves as aquifer recharge; provides important natural habitats for animals and plants
Floodplains
On clear winter nights, air cools off and condenses, flowing downhill. Frost pockets may be created wherever the air is blocked as it flows downhill. These locations freeze first. Building siting: location buildings so that air drains away and early morning sun will warm sooner
A wind that blows from a higher elevation to a lower elevation
Air Drainage / Drainage wind
Sedimentation of stream channels
Aggradation
The study of the physical features of the earth’s surface
Physiography
Global-scale climate classification system. Its categories are based on the annual and monthly averages of temperature and precipitation.
Koppen Climate Classification
Slope Aspect and Microclimates
Western slopes are hottest in summer
Southern slopes receive the most sun in winter months
Southeastern slopes offer the most desirable microclimates
Northwestern slopes receive cold winter winds
Q = CIA
The “rational method equation,” used to determine the rate of runoff.
Q = peak discharge in cubic feet per second
C = the rational method runoff coefficient
I = rainfall intensity measured in inches per hour
A = drainage area measured in acres
A landscape underlain by limestone which has been eroded by dissolution, producing ridges, towers, fissures, sinkholes and other characteristic landforms.
Karst
The area between the high and low tide lines along coasts, estuaries, and bays; generally subject to wave action and periodic inundation
Littoral Zone
A type of geomorphic process; movement by gravitational forces
Mass Wasting
A mass of rocks and sediment carried down and deposited by a glacier, typically as ridges at its edges or extremity.
Moraine
A summary report of the exploration of the subsurface soils and how they are to be used as a construction material; generally concerned with construction characteristics, as opposed to a soil test report, which is concerned with planting;
Geotechnical Report
Processes that make or alter landforms
Geomorphic Processes
A type of igneous rock that cooled quickly when brought to the surface by volcanic eruption; tend to have FINE GRAINS; (ex: basalt & gabbro)
Extrusive Rock
Rock type transformed from other rock materials in response to pressure or temperature; classified based on composition and texture (foliated, non-foliated)
Metamorphic Rock
A confined aquifer containing groundwater under positive pressure. Water is trapped, surrounded by layers of impermeable rock or clay which apply positive pressure to the water contained within the aquifer. If a well were to be sunk into this aquifer type, water in the well-pipe would rise to a height corresponding to the point where hydrostatic equilibrium is reached.
Artesian Well
Rock type formed by sedimentation of material at the earth’s surface and within bodies of water; classified based on depositional mode (mechanical or chemical)
Sedimentary Rock
A type of geomorphic process; erosion, transportation, and deposition by wind
Eolian Process
Wave Action; movement of sand along a coastline due to wave and tidal action
Littoral drift
A type of geomorphic process; erosion, transportation, and sedimentation from rivers and streams
Fluvial Process
A type of igneous rock that cooled slowly within the earth; COARSE GRAINS easily seen with the naked eye (ex. granite, rhyolite)
Intrusive Rock
Rock type formed by the cooling of liquid magma; cooling rates affect composition and grain size; two sub-categories: extrusive and intrusive
Igneous Rock