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Earth's Landforms
Science Vocabulary
| Science Word | Science Definition |
|---|---|
| Weathering | The natural process 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 | Precipitation, such as rain, sleet, or snow, that contains a high concentration of acids, often because of the pollution of the atmosphere |
| 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 atriangular or fan shape at the mouth of a river or stream |
| Alluvial Fan | A fan-shaped mass of rock 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 of 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 |
| Mountain | An area of significantly increased elevation on Earth’s surface, usually rising to a summit |
| Lake | A filled or partially filled basin of fresh or salt water surrounded by land |
| River | A large natural stream of water that flows across land surfaces within a channel |
| Coastline | A location where land and ocean surface meet |