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Mr. Vaughan Unit 3
Unit 3 - Earth's Surface
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Earth System | all of the nonliving things, living things, and processes that make up the planet Earth, including the solid Earth, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, and biosphere |
| geosphere | the mostly solid, rocky part of Earth; extends from the center of the core to the surface of the crust |
| hydrosphere | the portion of the Earth that is water |
| cryosphere | those portions of Earth's surface where water occurs in a solid form |
| atmosphere | a mixture of gases that surrounds a planet or moon |
| biosphere | the part of the Earth where life exists; includes all of the living organisms on Earth |
| energy budget | the new flow of energy into and out of a system |
| weathering | the natural processes by which atmospheric and environmental agents, such as wind, rain, and temperature changes, disintegrate and decompose rocks |
| physical weathering | the mechanical breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces that is caused by natural processes and that does not change the chemical composition of the rock material |
| abrasion | the process by which rock is reduced in size by the scraping action of other rocks driven by water, wind, and gravity |
| chemical weathering | the chemical breakdown and decomposition of rocks by natural processes in the environment |
| oxidation | a chemical reaction in which a material combines with oxygen to form new material; in geology, oxidation is a form of chemical weathering |
| acid precipitation | rain, sleet, or snow that contains a high concentration of acids |
| erosion | the process by which wind, water, ice, or gravity transports soil and sediment from one location to another |
| deposition | the process in which material is laid down |
| floodplain | an area along a river that forms from sediments deposited when the river overflows its banks |
| delta | a mass of material deposited in a triangular or fan shape at the mouth of a river or stream |
| alluvial fan | a fan-shaped mass of material deposited by a stream when the slope of the land decreases sharply |
| groundwater | the water that is beneath Earth's surface |
| shoreline | the boundary between land and a body of water |
| beach | an area of the shoreline that is made up of deposited sediment |
| sandbar | a low ridge of sand deposited along the shore of a lake or sea |
| barrier island | a long ridge of sand or narrow island that lies parallel to the shore |
| dune | a mound of wind-deposited sand that moves as a result of the action of wind |
| loess | fine-grained sediments of quartz, feldspar, hornblende, mica, and clay deposited by the wind |
| glacier | a large mass of ice that exists year-round and moves over land |
| glacial drift | the rock material carried and deposited by glaciers |
| creep | the slow downhill movement of weathered rock material |
| rockfall | the rapid mass movement of rock down a steep slope or cliff |
| landslide | the sudden movement or rock and soil down a slope |
| mudflow | the flow of a mass of mud or rock and soil mixed with a large amount of water |
| soil | a loose mixture of rock fragments, organic material, water, and air that can support the growth of vegetation |
| humus | dark, organic material formed in soil from the decayed remains of plants and animals |
| soil profile | a vertical section of soil that shows the layers, or horizons |
| soil horizon | each layer of soil within a soil profile |
Created by:
dougteach65
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