science erosion and river vocab

erosion

Processes by which rock, sand, and soil are broken down and carried away (i.e. weathering, glaciation)

deposition

Process in which sediment is laid down in new locations.

velocity

Speed in a given direction

gradient

an incline or slope; the rate of incline

landslide

the sudden movement of rock and soil down a slope.

creep

the slow downhill movement of weathered rock material

slump

A type of mass movement that occurs when a mass of material moves down a curved slope

sediment

small, solid pieces of material that come from rocks.

stream channel

the course the water in a stream follows

alluvial fan

a fan-shaped mass of material deposited by a stream at the base of a mountain.

meander

curves that form from a river during the mature and old stages.

oxbow lake

A meander that has been cut off from the river

delta

a low triangular area where a river divides before entering a larger body of water

floodplain

an area along a river that forms from sediments deposited when the river overflows its banks

horizontal sorting

When a river enters an ocean, sediments organize themselves horizontally from big to small

vertical sorting

Sorting of particles from bottom to top in a layer. The roundest, largest and densest are on the bottom. The flattest, smallest and least dense are on the top.

mass wasting

the downslope movement of soil and rock due to gravity.

mouth

the location where a river enters a larger body of water (another river, sea, ocean or lake)

Slope

The steepness of a hill or mountain.