Unit 8: Forces that Change Earth Flashcards
Water above Earth’s surface. Rivers, lakes, oceans, creeks, etc.
surface water
Water found in the spaces between rock particles below Earth’s surface
ground water
The upper boundary of, or surface, of ground water
Water table
the area of land that is drained by a river system
watershed
an area of higher ground that separates a watershed
divide
an body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows it to flow
aquifer
a measure of how easily water can flow through an aquifer
permeability
the amount of storage space in an aquifer
porisity
waste or other harmful material added to water
water pollution
water that is suitable for drinking
potable water
a body of water that usually forms behind a dam
reservoir
the breakdown of rock material by physical and chemical processes
weathering
the process by which rock is broken down by physical changes
physical weathering
the breakdown of rock by chemical reactions
chemical weathering
the breaking down and wearing away of rock by other rock
abrasion
the process by which chemicals combine with oxygen
oxidation
the process by which sediment and other materials are moved from one place to another
erosion
the process by which eroded material is dropped.
deposition
Multiple layers of deposited sediment that forms a flat area
floodplain
Mounds of wind deposited sand
dunes
a large mass of moving ice that forms bu the compacting of snow
glacier
all materials carried and deposited by a glacier
glacial drift
the sudden rapid movement of a large amount of material down slope
landslide
an ecosystem that covers a large area
ecoregion
a large treeless area of land that is characterized by deep, fertile soil
prarie
a treeless wetland ecosystem
marsh
an area of land that has gentle slopes and small differences in elevatioin
plain
an ecosystem in which trees are the main form of plan life.
woodland
a large, flat area that is higher than the surrounding land
plateau
