Erosion and Deposition

Science 1, 2, 3

Uniformitarianism

The idea of earth has always changed in uniform ways that the present is the key to the past (slow process)

Catastrophism

Charges in the earth’s crust during geological history has resulted chiefly from sudden violent and unusual events. 

Weathering

the breaking down material or dissolving of rocks and minerals on the surface of earth

Erosion

the process by sediment and other materials are moved from one place to another

Deposition

the process of eroded material is dropped

Sediment

are tiny grains of broken-down rock

Gradient

the measure of change in elevation over a certain distance

Meander

curves and bends that form a twist, loop pattern in a stream channel

Oxbow lake

the cut-off meander forming a crescent-shaped lake

Alluvial Fan

a fan-shaped deposit that forms on dry land

Delta

streams that deposit their loads in a fan-shaped pattern

Floodplain

many layers of deposited sediment can form a flat area

Levee

a natural or artificial wall that blocks water from going where we don’t want it to go

Barrier Island

a long narrow island made of sand that forms a parallel to the shoreline of a short distance offshore

Sand Dunes

a hill or ridge beyond the reach of the tides, formed from sand over many years

Loess

thick deposits of wind-blown fine grained sediment

Glacier

a large mass of moving ice that forms by the compacting of snow by natural forces

Moraine

the material left behind by a moving glacier (soil+rock) carries debris and builds up, forming deltas

Kettle Lake

form when chunks of ice are deposited by glaciers and glacial drift builds up around the ice block (when ice melts, a lake forms)

Mass Wasting

the movement of rock and soil down slope under the influence of gravity

Creep

slow,steady, downward movement of material downslope