glossary terms chapter 1 landscapes

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granite (graniet)

igneous rock characterised by a speckled pattern

high mountain range (hooggebergte)

an area with an elevation of 1500 metres or more above sea level

hill (heuvelland)

an area with an elevation between 200 and 500 metres or more above sea level

igneous rock (stollingsgesteente)

rock that forms when magma solidifies

low mountain range (middelgebergte)

an area with an elevation between 500 and 1500 metres or more above sea level

lowland (laagland)

flat area with an elevation below 200

chemical weathering (chemische verwering)

weathering by which the composition of rock changes due to the action of oxygen and moisture

limestone (kalksteen)

rock formed by the compression of calcareous remains of former marine life

mechanical weathering (mechanische verwering)

weathering by which rock crumbles but does not change in composition

relief (reliëf)

differences in elevation (or shape) of the land surface

weathering (verwering)

the breaking down of rock under the influence of the weather and flora and fauna

clay (klei)

small, microscopic grains which are formed due to weathering

erosion (erosie)

the continued wearing down of land surfaces by one of the transporting agents: water, wind or ice

mass movement (massabewegingen)

rock moving down a slope due to gravity

river gravel (grind)

stones rounded by river water sand (zand)

upper course (bovenloop)

source of the river, the upper part of the river that often runs through the mountains

beach (strand)

the border between land and water where sand accumulates

delta (delta)

new land that is formed in the sea by sedimentation at the mouth of the river by the sea

dune (duin)

mound of sand blown up by the wind lower course (benedenloop)

middle course (middenloop)

part of the river between the upper and lower course

plain (laagvlakte)

flat area with an elevation of less that 500 metres

sandbank (zandbank)

shallow area in the sea sandstone (zandsteen)

sedimentary rock (sedimentgesteente)

rock formed by layers of sediment being compressed

sedimentation (sedimentatie)

the retention of crumbles rock

shale (schalie)

sedimentary rock formed by layers of compressed clay

boulder clay (keileem)

a mixture of clay, loam, sand and river gravel that was formed under a glacier catchment area (stroomgebied)

erratic boulder (zwerfsteen)

big and heavy rock carried and left behind by land ice

loess (löss)

fine grained sand where most particals are smaller than 0.063mm

moraine (stuwwal)

hill formed by ice tongues pushing land upwards in front and at the sides of the ice tongue

area outside the dyke (buitendijkse kant)

area outside the dyke that is not protected against the water mound (terp) during flooding

peat (veen)

type of soil formed from compacted dead vegetation in swamps

mound (terp)

man made hill to provide safe ground during flooding

polder (polder)

dutch term for an area, often below sea level, surrounded by dykes in which the water level is regulated by pumping stations

pumping station (gemaal)

a pump used to remove the water in the polders

reclaimed lakefloor (droogmakerij)

polder formed by pumping excess water away

salt marsh (kwelder)

a piece of land that no longer flood at high tide in the Waddenzee

tidal flats (wadden)

the part of the Waddenzee that falls dry during low tide