Abeka Science 8: Earth and Space Test 4

Levee

A natural ridge formed along the edge of a river's channel.

Drumlin

A low hill formed when a glacier overruns a moraine.

Striae

Large, deep grooves and scratches in rock, produced by glaciers.

Load

The material carried by a stream.

Exfoliation

The type of weathering that involves the breaking or peeling away of rock into layers.

Moraines

The piles of debris left behind when a glacier melts.

Windward side

The side of a dune that has a gentle slope that progresses up to the crest.

Oxidation

The process that occurs when oxygen from the atmosphere reacts with minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron to form new compounds.

Drainage System

The feature that consists of a relatively large stream and any smaller streams that flow into it.

Sea Arch

The type of narrow, curved rock formation that forms when a sea cave is continually eroded.

Fjord

A glacier-carved valley that has filled with seawater.

Karst regions

regions of the earth's surface where limestone is exposed and abundant

Eolian processes

The processes where where wind transports sediments such as suspension, saltation, and creep.

Barrier Island

A narrow, sandy island formed by a large bar off the coast of the mainland.

Erosion

The process after which rock has been broken into fragments, processes like wind and running water carry away the fragments.

Ice caps

Ice sheetws smaller than continental glaciers.

Breakwater

A long pile of rocks deposited parallel to the shore to prevent erosion.

Horn

The sharp, steeple-shaped point of a mountain with three or more cirques.

Abrasion

The eroding action of windblown sand.

River

A large stream that carries water from the mountains to the sea

Tributary

One of the numerous streams that feed into a river at various points.

Headwaters

The source of a river.

Sinkhole

large, funnel shaped depression in the ground caused by cavern collapse

Oxbow Lake

feature formed when a sharp curve in a river is cut off from the rest of the river

Drainage basin

region of land drained by a stream or drainage system

Water

The main agent of chemical weathering.

Physical weathering

The type of weathering that does not change the chemical composition of the minerals that compose a rock.

Great Divide

The drainage divide in the Rocky Mountains west of the Mississippi River drainage basin.

Ice Age

The name for the time where one-third of the earth's land area was covered in glaciers.

Sea Cliff

The name for a vertical face of rock that forms when the sea removes rock from the base of a high ridge.

Kettle

The term that describes a huge hole left in the ground when an ice chunk left by a retreating glacier melts.

Ice Wedging

The type of weathering that occurs when rainwater soaks into cracks in a rock and freezes, splitting the rock.

Caverns

Limestone formations that have become filled with various passageways and large caves.

Carbonic Acid

The natural acid, found in rainwater and groundwater, that promotes chemical weathering of rocks.

Alluvial Fan

The name of the triangular sediment deposit formed on a plain by a temporary mountain stream.

Parabolic Dune

The type of dune that is arch shaped, with an open end of the arch pointing to the windward side.

Sheet erosion

The stripping away of a thin area of topsoil from the surface of the land.

Physical weathering

The type of weathering that occurs when a plant's roots slowly thicken in a rock, causing the rock to crack.

Delta

The fan-shaped deposit left by a large river when it reaches the ocean.

Earth Slide

The type of landslide that involves fine soil and small pebbles falling in large masses down a slope.

Landslide

A sudden slide of huge masses of rock or soil down a slope.

Cirque

A huge, bowl-shaped depression dug out by a valley glacier.

Meanders

The winding, looping curves of a river.

Weathering

The collective natural processes that break down rocks.

Mass wasting

The general term for the downslope movements of rock, soil, vocanic ash, snow, or ice.

Gravity

The process after physical forces carry away rock fragments, that the fragments are laid down in a new location.

Dripstone

Large, icicle-like masses of calcium carbonate found in caves.

Runoff

The excess water after heavy rain, where topsoil can be stripped away by excess water traveling downhill.

Creep

The process where particles are too heavy to be lifted by the wind and are rolled in short bursts.

Stalagmite

A spire-like mass of dripstone on the floor of a cave.

Continental Glacier

A sheet of glacial ice that covers an immense area of flat land.

Terracing

The process of modifying a smooth slope into a series of level, stair-like steps.

Most likely, this structure was formed by waves that widen sea arches until they collapse.

The Old Harry Rocks are a large chalk rock formation located off the coast of southern England. The formation consists of several towers of rocks rising out of the sea. Know a possible way this was formed.

Most likely, these structures were formed by stresses within the rocks that cause the layers of rock to break and peel away.

City of Rocks National Reserve in Idaho is well known for its variety of rock formations. Some of these formations are smooth, dome-like structures with piles of broken rock at their bases. Know how they were most likely formed.

Most likely, A glacier slid over the mountainous ground to create the valleys.

Many mountains in Antarctica have sharp ridges that divide huge bowl-shaped valleys. Know how these most like formed.

The Great Basin is at a lower elevation than the land surrounding it.

The Great Basin is a desert region that includes parts of Nevada , Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, and California. The entire Great Basin is surrounded by drainage divides. Know why the rainwater that falls into the Great Basin is unable to flow into the ocean.

Most likely, a river meander was bypassed, cutting off the lake.

Lake Chicot is a U-shaped lake in Arkansas near the Mississippi River. The "arms" of the U point toward a bend in the river. Know how Lake Chicot most like formed.

This is classified as a till, because till consists of a mix of particle sizes.

A scientist is studying deposits left by a glacier. He notes that a particular deposit is in the bottom of a valley, consists of a mix of particle sizes, and is composed primarily of granite rock. Know how this deposit is classified as and why.

Most likely, water loosened dirt on the cliff, causing a landslide.

On a cliff running parallel to the shore, there is a bowl-shaped depression with steep sides and a sharp edge at the top. On the coastal plain below the depression, there is a large pile of dirt and other debris. Know how this depression most likely formed.~

The conclusion was correct because soil creep involves only slow movements of soil.

A farmer noticed that fence posts on a slope had become somewhat offset and were beginning to lean toward the downslope side. Some shrubs on the same slope were also leaning. The only other obvious signs of disturbance were small ripples in the ground. He concluded that this effect was probably caused by soil creep. Know whether or not he was correct and why or why not.

-Windbreaks are trees, tall plants, or fences designed to minimize land erosion.

-A windbreak prevents erosion in two ways. First, it reduces the force of the wind reaching the leeward side of the windbreak. Second, it catches particles on the windward side of the windbreak to limit their motion.

-Strip-cropping is planting alternate strips of erosion-prone crops with strips of erosion-preventing crops.

-Strip-cropping helps reduce erosion because the erosion-preventing crops will limit the movement of eroded particles. Particles from a strip of erosion-prone crops will be blocked from moving further when they reach a strip of erosion-preventing crops.

ESSAY QUESTION: Discuss what windbreaks and strip-cropping are and how they can help prevent erosion.