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ES1-Unit 8 Vocab
ES1-Unit 8: Weathering & Erosion Vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Weathering | Mechanical or chemical surface processes that break rock into smaller and smaller pieces |
| Mechanical Weathering | Physical processes that break rock apart without changing its chemical makeup; can be caused by ice wedging, animals, and plant roots |
| Ice Wedging | mechanical weathering process that occurs when water freezes in the cracks of rocks and expands, causing rock to break apart |
| Chemical Weathering | occurs when chemical reactions dissolve the minerals in rocks or change them into different minerals |
| Oxidation | chemical weathering process that occurs when some minerals are exposed to oxygen and water over time (ex. Iron rusting, surface of Mars) |
| Climate | average weather pattern in an area over a long period of time; can be classified by temperature, humidity, precipitation, and vegetation (type of climate can affect weathering process) |
| Soil | mixture of weathered rock and mineral fragments, decayed organic matter, mineral fragments, water, and air that can take thousands of years to develop |
| Humus | dark-colored decayed organic matter that supplies nutrients to plants and is found mainly in topsoil |
| Horizon | each layer in a soil profile - horizon A (top layer of soil), horizon B (middle layer), and horizon C (bottom layer) |
| Soil Profile | vertical selection of soil layers, each of which is a horizon |
| Litter | twigs, leaves, and other organic matter that help prevent erosion and hold water and may eventually be changed into humus by decomposing organisms. |
| Leaching | removal of minerals that have been dissolved in water |
| No-Till Farming | method for reducing soil erosion; plant stalks are left in the field after harvesting and the next year's crop is planted within the stalks without plowing |
| Contour farming | planting along the natural contours of the land to reduce soil erosion |
| Terracing | farming method used to reduce erosion on steep slopes |
| Erosion | process in which surface materials are worn away and transported from one place to another by agents of gravity, wind, water, and glaciers |
| Deposition | dropping of sediments that occurs when an agent of erosion, such as gravity, a glacier, wind, or water, loses its energy and can no longer carry its load |
| Mass Movement | any type of erosion that occurs as gravity moves materials down slope |
| Slump | a type of mass movement that occurs when a mass of material moves down a curved slope |
| Runoff | any rainwater that does not soak into the ground or evaporate but flows over Earth's surface; generally flows into streams and has the ability to erode and carry sediments |
| Channel | groove created by water moving down the same path |
| Sheet Erosion | a type of surface water erosion caused by runoff that occurs when water flowing as sheets picks up sediments and carries them away |
| Drainage Basin | land area from which a river or stream collects runoff |
| Meander | broad, C-shaped curve in a river or stream, formed by erosion of its outer bank |
| Groundwater | water that soaks into the ground and collects in pores anad empty spaces and is an important source of drinking water |
| Permeable | describes soil and rock with connecting pores through which water can flow |
| Impermeable | describes materials that water cannot pass through |
| Aquifer | layer of permeable rock that allows water to flow through |
| Water Table | upper surface of the zone of saturation; drops during a drought |
| Spring | forms when the water table meets Earth's surface; often found on hillsides and used as a freshwater source |
| Geyser | hot spring that erupts periodically and shoots water and steam into the air - for example, Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park |
| Cave | underground opening that can form when acidic groundwater dissolves limestone |
| Zone of Depression | drop in water table level surrounding a well |
| Karst Topography | Region with many sinkholes and caves due to acidic water eroding limestone bedrock |
| Artesian well | deeper and more narrow than a traditional well. Hydrostatic pressure (gravity pulling water from a higher elevation) keeps the water level at or near the top of the well. |
| Traditional well | well that is dug beneath the water table, but does not go deep into the aquifer. Often goes dry or contaminated because it is closer to the surface |
| Sinkholes | Surface layers of the earth drop due to erosion of limestone by water, may begin as a depression before a hole forms |
Created by:
tejneckyc
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