Geography: Rocks, Rivers, and Landscape Processes

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering rock classification (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic), landform formation, river terminology, erosion mechanisms, load transportation methods, and river course stages.

Igneous Rocks

Rocks formed from magma, which is molten rock originating deep inside the Earth.

Magma

Molten rock located deep inside the Earth that rises through the Earth's crust because it is hot.

Lava

Liquid rock erupted by volcanoes onto the Earth's surface.

Basalt

An igneous rock formed when lava cools quickly on the surface, resulting in small crystals.

Granite

A very hard igneous rock that forms when magma cools slowly inside the crust, developing large interlocked crystals and creating upland areas such as mountains and moors.

Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks formed from weathered particles of other rocks or the remains of living creatures that settle in layers in the sea and are squashed and stuck together over millions of years.

Clay

A very soft sedimentary rock that forms flat lowland areas, which can be changed into slate under great pressure.

Sandstone

A sedimentary rock formed from particles of worn-down rocks that turns into quartzite when heated.

Chalk

A sedimentary rock formed from compressed shells and skeletons of dead sea creatures; it is harder than clay and forms gentle hills.

Limestone

A hard sedimentary rock formed from compressed shells and skeletons of dead sea creatures that can form spectacular mountains and gorges, turning into marble when heated by lava.

Metamorphic Rocks

Rocks formed from pre-existing rocks altered by intense heat from volcanic activity or extreme pressure from Earth movements; they are normally hard and form upland areas.

Marble

A metamorphic rock formed when limestone is heated by lava or magma.

Quartzite

A metamorphic rock formed when sandstone is altered by heat.

Slate

A metamorphic rock formed when clay is subjected to great pressure.

Safer Building Guidelines for Poorer Countries

Building measures including the use of flexible wood rather than bricks, along with government emergency guidelines and practice drills.

Natural Agents of Remodelling

Forces that continuously alter the Earth's surface by eroding, transporting, and depositing materials; examples include rivers, the sea, wind, and glaciers.

Glaciers

Moving masses of ice that act as natural agents continuously remodelling the Earth's surface.

River Source

The starting point where a river begins.

River Mouth

The place where a river enters another river, a lake, or the sea.

Tributary

A small river that flows into a larger river.

Confluence

The point where a tributary meets the main river, or where two streams meet to form one river.

River Bed

The path along which river water flows.

River Banks

The two sides that enclose the river channel and make the river valley.

Course of a River

The entire length of a river from its source to its mouth.

Perennial River

A river that maintains a continuous flow of water throughout the entire year.

Seasonal River

A river that flows only during specific parts of the year, such as during the wet season.

River Erosion

The wearing away of the bed and banks of a river through hydraulic action, corrosion, and the action of carried debris.

Hydraulic Action

The process of erosion where the force of the water itself wears away the bed and banks of the river.

Corrosion (Solution Erosion)

The chemical erosional process where river water dissolves soluble rocks present in the river's bed and banks.

Corrasion (Abrasion)

The erosional process where pebbles, rocks, and other transported materials roll along and strike against the bed and banks, wearing them away.

Attrition

The erosional process where pebbles, rocks, and debris carried by the river strike against one another, causing them to wear down and become smaller.

River Load

The materials produced from erosion that are carried or transported by a river.

Transportation (River)

The carrying of eroded load from one part of the river system to another.

Traction

A method of river transportation where coarse and heavy materials are dragged along the river bed.

Saltation

A method of transportation in which the flow of river water bounces stones and pebbles along the river bed.

Suspension

A method of river transportation where fine and light materials, such as silt and sand, are held up and carried in the flow of the water.

Solution (Transportation)

A method of river transportation in which dissolved rock minerals are carried within the water.

Deposition

The dropping or laying down of carried load when a river loses speed and energy.

Upper Course (Youthful Stage)

The initial section of a river characterized by a very steep gradient, swift water flow, and active erosion occurring primarily along the river bed.

Middle Course (Valley Course / Mature Stage)

The middle section of a river's course, described as its mature stage.

Lower Course (Plain Course / Old Age Stage)

The final section of a river's course leading to the mouth, described as the old age stage.