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Cat Ev, TX Eco, Wate
7.8ABC Catastrophic Events, TX Ecoregions, & Watersheds
| 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. |
| WATERSHED | Area of land where surface water & groundwater drain into a particular body of water separated from each other by drainage divides. |
| DRAINAGE DIVIDE | Geographical barrier, such as a ridge, hill, or mountain, separating 1 watershed land area from another. |
| SURFACE WATER | Water from precipitation that drains into a gully that flows into a stream, which then flows into a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, or ocean. |
| GROUNDWATER | Water that collects in cracks & pores in underground soil & rock layers. |
| WATER TABLE | Top of the saturation zone, below which water fills all open spaces between the rock. |
| SATURATION ZONE | Below the water table where all spaces not filled with solid material fill with water. |
| AQUIFER | Layer of permeable rock that allows water to flow through. |
| PERMEABLE ROCK | Allows water movement to flow through the material; opposite of impermeable. |
| SUBSIDENCE | Sunken land surface due to underlying compression of earth material as a result of the removal of groundwater. |
| POINT SOURCE WATER POLLUTION | Single identifiable & localized source of water pollution, such as waste-water discharge into a stream. |
| NON-POINT SOURCE WATER POLLUTION | Pollutants introduced into surface or groundwater that are without a specific location source, such as water flowing over a lawn that has been fertilized & then into a drain. |
| PERCOLATION/INFILTRATION | Downward movement of water through soil & rock due to gravity. |
| IMPERMEABLE ROCK | Rock that does not allow liquid to flow through it. |
| 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. |
| RECHARGE ZONE | An area in which water travels downward to become part of an aquifer. |
| DISCHARGE ZONE | Area where groundwater flows back up to the surface of Earth. |
| WATER WELL | A well made by digging or drilling into the zone of saturation. |
| WASTE TREATMENT PLANT | Facility used to purify contaminated water sources. |
Created by:
trauberk
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