Unit 5

Question 1

erosion

Answer 1

a process by which the products of weathering are transported by a natural agent, such as wind, water, ice, or gravity

Question 2

weathering

Answer 2

a natural process by which atmospheric and environmental agents such as wind, rain, and temp changes disintegrate and decompose rocks.

Question 3

The primary difference between weathering and erosion

Answer 3

is that weathering occurs in place whereas erosion involves movement to a new location
Once weathering has broken particles away, erosion can occur. Erosion is the process of actually moving the broken sediment, soil or rock particles.

Question 4

Compare the gradient and volume of water carried in stream flow between rivers that are newly formed, mature, and old age

Answer 4

new mature old
gradient: high/ lower/flatter lowest,very flat
steeper
Volume
of water: low high highest

Question 5

what is the effect on size and shape of transporting sediment?

Answer 5

More rounded and aerodynamic shapes of smaller sizes require less velocity to be transported/moved

Question 6

How does the shape of particles change as they are transported farther from their origin?

Answer 6

As particles are transported farther they become smaller and have more surface area exposed and sometimes more rounded

Question 7

Where are angular and rounded sediments usually found

Answer 7

rounded sediments are usually found in rivers/ water after being transported by a river
angular sediments are usually located near cliffs or places where the rock could fall from a hight

Question 8

Compare the water required to fill pore spaces, the time required for draining, and the water remaining around sentiments for rounded particles that are 3 mm and to those that are 8 mm round (given equal volumes)

Answer 8

• same amount of water required to fill pore spaces
• larger beads would require less time for draining
• and there would be less water remaining round larger bead

Question 9

explain the formation of a sand dune

Answer 9

A barrier keeps sand in its relative place. the wind pushes sand around a barrier in the direction the wind is blowing. As the wind deposit more sand the wind barrier grows larger allowing for more sand build up on both sides of the barrier until the original barrier is covered

Question 10

Explain sediment distribution and deposition as a river empties into a still body of water

Answer 10

as water velocity slows a fan-shaped delta will form with larger sediments (like boulders) closer to the mouth of the stream and finer sediment as you move outward to the end of the delta. The finest sediments, like clay may float to the surface and carried away

Question 11

What factors affect the amount of sediment transported by stream

Answer 11

water velocity, shape of stream channel, stream gradient

Question 12

If water storage is on its maximum and toldtal percipitation excedes vapotranspertation what wil hapen ?

Answer 12

flooding

Question 13

Which agent of a Rosian transport sediments that forms moraines

Answer 13

glaciers

Question 14

what is the primary agent of erosion in a desert

Answer 14

wind

Question 15

what are striations? how do they form?

Answer 15

long parallel grooves in bedrock left behind. When rocks get stuck to the base of a glacier and the glacier drags it across the bedrock as it moves causing abbrasion

Question 16

what do striations show

Answer 16

the direction of glacier movment

Question 17

what is forost action/ ice wedging

Answer 17

when water seeps into cracks of a rock and then freezes, its volume then increases by 10% and creates preasure on the surrounding rock. Every time the water freezes the crack becme wider untill it is eventually wedged apart

Question 18

what climate has the fastest rate of weathering on a rock?

Answer 18

hot wet climates

Question 19

what factors determine why some rocks weather more rapidly than other rocks?

Answer 19

rock composition, amount of time rock is exposed to weathering, amount of surface area availabe for weathering, climate, topography+elivation, human plant and animal activities

Question 20

what are the most important facctors affecting the water budget

Answer 20

amount of precipitation
vegitation
amount of water usage 
wind 
temp

Question 21

what is the most important facctor in determining what type of soil will form?

Answer 21

parent rock, the rock from which the soil was wethered

Question 22

how do caverns form

Answer 22

A cavern is formed by chemical weathering. As ground water flows through cracks of rocks rich in calcite carbonic acid slowly dissolves and enlargens the cracks everntually creatinga cavern

Question 23

how do sinkholes form

Answer 23

when rock dissolves or sediment is removed from under a surface causing a depresion. or when caves or mining cites collapse

Question 24

what is abbrasion

Answer 24

The collision of rocks that result in the breaking and weathering away of rocks from mechanical

Question 25

pros and cons of dams

Answer 25

pros: prevent and control flooding, can provide hydroelectric eneergy
cons: can cause sediment builup (which can cause pollution, interfears with wildlife and can stop the natural migration of many speacies of fish

Question 26

What is the potential effect of climate change on the hydrology of a river system

Answer 26

as climate changes evapotranspirisim can exceed precipitation causing a river system to lose water volume, therefore velocity dereases, and therefore there is less erosion

Question 27

what are some clues used to determine glacier movment

Answer 27

striations, drumlins

Question 28

what is albedo as it relates to ground surfaces

Answer 28

Reflective property of glacier ice. It is extremely powerful and can cause one to go blind. Ice with this property is also much harder to melt because the light bounces off

Question 29

How can glacial movment be used to explin the orientation of the finger lakes

Answer 29

As glaciers advance they draged large pieces of rock with them that cause abrasion and carve out the fingerlakes. as the glaciers then receeded they dropped a terminal moraine which stoped the river from flowing, creating a lake

Question 30

drumlins

Answer 30

long low tear shaoed mounds of tikk. the aces of the drumlins run parallele to the direction of glacier movment