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LD ES - Ch 4
LD Earth Science - Chapter 4 - Weathering, Erosion & Deposition
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Abrasion | Form of physical weathering caused by friction between rock particles |
| Agent of Erosion | Medium , such as water, wind, or glacial ice, that transports weathered sediments |
| Bedrock | Solid layer of rock that extends into Earth, bedrock is found beneath the soil |
| Chemical Weathering | Change in the chemical composition of a rock caused by adjustment to conditions at Earth's surface. |
| Deposition | Settling or release of sediments by an agent of erosion |
| Discharge | Quantity of water flowing past a certain point in a stream per unit of time |
| Erosion | Transportation of weathered material (sediments) by water, wind, or ice away from their place of origin |
| Flotation | Transportation of sediments along the surface of a stream |
| Frost Action | Form of physical weathering in climates with seasonal temperature changes alternately above and below 0°C |
| Frost Wedging | (frost action) Form of physical weathering in climates with seasonal temperature changes alternately above and below 0°C |
| Glacial Erratic | Large rock that has been transported by a glacier |
| Glacier | Large mass of flowing ice |
| Graded Bedding | Layers of sediment that change from coarse particles at the bottom of each layer to progressively finer particles toward the top |
| Horizontal Sorting | Gradual change in size, density, & shape of particles deposited when stream slows on reaching calm water. The largest, most dense, & roundest particles settle first while the smaller least dense & flatter particles are carried farther out into calm water. |
| Humus | Organic remains that are part of soil |
| Ice Age | Long period of Earth's history when ice sheets covered large areas of the continents |
| Leaching | Process by which groundwater carried dissolved minerals deeper into the soil as the water infiltrates the ground |
| Mass Movement | Downhill movement of rock or sediment without being carried by water, wind, or ice |
| Meander | Natural looping bend, or S-shape curve, in a stream |
| Mass Wasting | (mass movement) Downhill movement of rock or sediment without being carried by water, wind, or ice |
| Outcrop | Bedrock exposed at the surface because it is not covered by soil |
| Physical Weathering | Mechanical breakdown of rocks without a change in chemical composition |
| Precipitate | Salt crystals that form and settle out of solution |
| Precipitation | Water, in the form of rain, snow, or sleet, falling from the sky; sedimentary process that involves substances settling out of saturated solution |
| Residual Soil | Soil that remains on top of the bedrock from which it formed |
| Sediment | Accumulation of particles of weathered rock, organic remains, or both; rock fragments |
| Soil | Weathered rock mixed with organic remains at the top of the lithosphere |
| Soil Horizon | Layer within soil showing a particular stage of soil development |
| Solution | Mixture in which the particles are so small they cannot be filtered out of the water |
| Sorted | Separated by particle size or other characteristics |
| Stream Discharge | Quantity of water flowing past a certain point in a stream per unit of tim |
| Stream Velocity | Speed at which a stream flows |
| Striation | Parallel scratches on the surface of a rock caused by the movement of a glacier |
| Suspension | Fluid containing large particles that can be filtered but the particles are too small to settle on their own |
| Till | Unsorted sediments deposited directly by glacial ice |
| Transported Soil | Soil eroded and deposited from its parent bedrock |
| Unsorted Deposit | Sediment left by melting glacial ice usually containing a mixture of clay, sand, cobbles, and boulders |
| Vertical Sorting | Sorting of particles from top to bottom in a layer (The roundest, largest, and densest particles are on the bottom and the flattest, smallest, and less dense particles are at the top of each layer) |
| Weathering | Breakdown of rock due to physical or chemical change |