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unit 8
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| weathering | the natural process by which atmospheric and environmental agents such as rain wind 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 the by which rock is reduced in size by the scarping action of other rocks driven by water wind and gravity |
| chemical weathering | the chemical breakdown and decomposition in the environment |
| oxidation | the chemical reaction in which a material combines with oxygen to form new materials |
| acid precipitaion | precipitation such as rain snow or sleet that contains a high concentration of acids often because of the pollution of the atmospere |
| erosion | the process by which wind water or gravity transports soil and sediment from one location to another |
| depostition | the process in which material is laid down |
| floodplain | an area along a river that forms from sediment 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 rock material deposited by a stream when the slope of the land decreases sharply |
| groundwater | the water that is beneath earths 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 bridge of sand deposited along the shoreline 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 sediment 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 |
| glacier drift | the rock material carried and deposited by glacires |
| 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 a rock and soil down a slope |
| mudflow | the flow of a mass of mus or rock and soil mixed with a large amount of water |
| mountain | an area of significantly increased elevation on earths surface usually rising to a summit |
| lake | a filled or partially filled basin or fresh or salt water surrounding by land |
| river | a large natural stream of water that flows across land surface within a channel |
| coastline | a location where land and ocean surface meet |