Weathering, Erosion, Deposition

abrasion

the grinding and wearing away of rock surfaces through the mechanical action of other rock or sand particles

aquifer

any water-bearing layer in the ground

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

soil creep

the very slow downslope movement of soil and rock fragments; causes telephone poles, trees, fences, etc. to be crooked

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

divide

a ridge of land that separates two adjacent river systems

drumlin

a smoothly rounded hill formed by a melting glacier

erosion

The process by which wind, water, ice, or gravity transports soil and sediment from one location to another

esker

long ridge of material deposited by a meltwater stream flowing beneath a glacier

fjord

long, steep-sided glacial valley now filled by seawater

floodplain

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

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.

kettle lake

a lake that forms when a block of ice falls off of the glacial front, is buried by glacial drift, and then melts, forming a depression that fills with water.

mass movement

the downhill movement of rock and soil because of gravity

meander

a curve in a stream

mechanical weathering

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

moraine

accumulated earth and stones deposited by a glacier

oxbow lake

a crescent-shaped lake (often temporary) that is formed when a meander of a river is cut off from the main channel

oxidation

a chemical change in which a substance combines with oxygen, as when iron oxidizes, forming rust

porosity

The percentage of the total volume of a rock or sediment that consists of open spaces.

permeability

The rate at which water moves through rocks or soil.

sand dune

a ridge of sand created by the wind

sandbar

a ridge of sand deposited by waves as they slow down near shore

slump

a large mass of rock and soil suddenly slip down a slope

talus

a sloping mass of loose rocks at the base of a cliff

till

unstratified soil deposited by a glacier

transpiration

the process by which plants give off water vapor through their leaves

tributary

a branch that flows into the main stream

watershed

the land area that supplies water to a river system

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 on the Earth's surface.

zone of aeration

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

zone of saturation

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

alluvial fan

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