EARTH SCIENCE (2010) - Surface Processes: Weathering, Erosion, Soils, Groundwater, Karst topography

alluvial fan

a fan-shaped deposit where a fast-flowing stream leaves a mountain range & slows down

aquifer

a layer of stone or earth, under the surface of the ground, that contains freshwater

bedrock

solid unweathered rock lying beneath surface deposits of soil

chemical weathering

occurs when chemical reactions dissolve the minerals in rocks or change them into different minerals

chemical weathering

(types)

- acid rain

- oxidation (rusting)

delta

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

deposition

process in which sediment is laid down in new locations

erosion

movement of sediment

humus

organic layer of soil formed from decaying plants and animals

karst topography

A region in which a layer of limestone close to the surface creates deep valleys, caverns and sinkholes.

- commonly found in the Valley and Ridge area of VA

limestone

easily weathered bedrock, associated with karst topography, caves, and sinkholes

mechanical weathering

the type of weathering in which rock is physically broken into smaller pieces

mechanical weathering

(types)

- abrasion

- frost action/ice wedging

- exfoliation

- root wedging

permeability

the rate at which water moves through rocks or soil

porosity

Percentage of open spaces between grains in a rock.

recharge zone

an area in which water travels downward to become part of an aquifer

soil

formed from the weather of rocks and organic activity

soil profile

All the layers that make up a soil in a particular place

water table

the upper surface of underground water; the upper boundary of the zone of saturation

weathering

the breaking down of rocks and other materials

zone of aeration

Zone in soil that is not saturated with water and that lies above the water table.

filled with air

zone of saturation

lower region of groundwater where all the pore spaces in a rock or sediment are filled with water