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TX & Catastrophic Ev
7.8AB Catastrophic Events & Texas Land Changes
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Catastrophic Events | Extreme weather events such as floods, hurricanes, & tornadoes; classified by the extent & intensity of their impact on the ecosystem. |
Ecosystem | System consisting of all the interactions that occur between the abiotic & biotic factors within an environment. |
Flood | Rising body of water that submerges normally dry land. |
Hurricane | Large, tropical weather system in the northeastern Pacific or northern Atlantic Oceans consisting of an extreme low-pressure air mass with heavy rains & wind speeds of at least 119 km/h (74 mph). |
Tornado | Violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground with wind speeds from 40 to 318 mph. |
Haboob | Large-scale dust storm. |
Wildfire | Large fire that spreads quickly over a natural area. |
Tsunami | Giant wave usually caused by an earthquake beneath the ocean floor. |
Drought | Long period of dry weather. |
Earthquake | Shaking that results from the movement of rock beneath Earth's surface. |
Volcano | Vent in the surface of Earth that emits ash, gases, &/or molten lava. |
Avalanche | Slide of large masses of snow, ice, & mud down a mountain. |
Landslide | Sudden movement of rock & soil down a slope. |
Sinkhole | A hole formed when limestone is dissolved, causing the land above to collapse. |
ECOREGION | Relatively large area characterized by distinctive plant & animal communities, climate, & ecological features. |
TOPOGRAPHY | Description of land surface area with reference to elevation variations. |
WEATHERING | Mechanical or chemical processes that break rock into smaller pieces. |
SEDIMENT | Earth material broken down by processes of weathering; can be eroded & deposited by agents of water, wind, ice, & gravity. |
EROSION | Process by which water, ice, wind, & gravity remove & transport sediment from 1 place to another. |
DEPOSITION | Process by which gravity, water, wind, & ice deposit weathered & relocated sediment. |
CANYON | Deep gorge in the Earth, typically 1 with a river flowing through it. |
SAND DUNE | Hill of sand near an ocean or in a desert formed by the wind. |
RIVER DELTA | Landform made of sediment deposited where a river flows into an ocean or lake. |
GLACIER | Large mass of moving ice and snow on land. |
VALLEY | Area of low land between hills or mountains. |
ICE WEDGING | Process that splits rock when water seeps into cracks then freezes & expands. |
HOODOO | Column of weathered rock with a capstone on the top. |
PLAINS | Large area of flat land with few trees. |
LANDFORM | Natural features of the earth's surface. |
NATURAL DISASTER | Great destruction or loss of life caused by natural forces rather than by human actions. |
MAN-MADE DISASTER | Widespread damage or loss of life brought about by the action of humans. |