WED Flashcards
Weathering
the process by which rock or soil is broken down
Erosion
the process by which rock or soil is broken down
Deposition
the process by which eroded rock, soil, or other earth materials are laid down in new places
Meander
broad curves in mature and old rivers
Oxbow Lake
a meander cut off from a river that forms its own lake
Delta
a buildup up sediment deposition formed where a river flows into a larger body of water
Alluvial fan
fan shaped deposit of sediment, usually when a stream empties onto land
Floodplain
a nearly flat expanse of land that stretches from the banks of a slow, meandering river
Glacier
large fields of snow and ice that form on land and flow slowly over time.
Glacial Drift
a mixture of different sized sediment and debris deposited by a glacier.
Cirque
a bowl-shaped hollow on the side of a mountain eroded by a glacier
Horn
sharp peak at the top of a mountain
Arete
long, jagged ridge along the side of a mountain
Moraine
mounds of sediment deposited at the downhill end of the glacier and along its side
Kettle / Kettle Lake
A large depression left behind by a glacier that sometimes fills with water
Spit
A beach formed by long shore drift that projects like a finger out into the water
Barrier island
a long, relatively narrow island running parallel to the mainland-built up by the action of waves and currents and serving to protect the coast from erosion by ocean waves.
Sand dunes
large amounts of sand deposited from wind
Mass Wasting
general term for erosion of large amounts of loose soil, rocks, and other materials due to gravity
Mudflow
a rapid movement of a large mass of mud due to gravity
Landslide
the sudden movement of rock and soil down a slope due to gravity
