Geography ALL DEFINITIONS

What is weathering?

The process where rocks are physically disintegrated and chemically decomposed by climatic or biological agents in situ.

What is erosion?

The process where rocks and soil are worn away and transported by natural forces such as wind or water.

What is mass wasting?

The downslope movement of regolith under the influence of gravity.

What is denudation?

The process wearing away of the earth’s surface by processes such as weathering, mass wasting and erosion.

What is soil creep?

The slow movement of regolith to move downwards on a gentle slope.

What is the greenhouse effect?

The process where heat from the sun in trapped in the oceans and the earth’s atmosphere , by gases like CO2.

What is global warming?

The increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans as a result of the greenhouse effect.

What is economic activity?

The different ways in which good and services are distributed and exchanged.

What is agriculture?

Economic activity where crops are cultivated and animals are reared for human consumption, animal consumption and for raw materials in industrial production.

What is population distribution?

How many people are spread throughout a country or area

What is population density?

The average number of people living in one unit area of land in a country place.

What is mechanical weathering?

The physical breakdown of rocks via processes like: exfoliation and freeze thaw.

What is chemical weathering?

The decay of rocks when minerals react with rainwater, sea water, moisture or air to alter.

What is gradient?

The measuring the angle of a slope, it is expressed in either a ratio or fraction.

What is a tributary?

It is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream.

What is a crest?

The highest point of a wave.

What is the trough?

The lowest point of a wave.

What is the wave length?

The distance between two crests.

What is the wave height?

The distance between the trough and crest.