Exam 2 Review - Freshwater Resources

This set of flashcards covers key concepts related to freshwater resources, including the dynamics of rivers and streams, lake properties, weathering and soil formation, mass wasting events, and stratigraphic relationships.

Slope/Gradient

The steepness of a stream; steeper gradients lead to faster flow velocities.

Roughness of Stream Bed

The texture of the stream bed; rougher beds create friction, decreasing velocity.

Suspended Load

Small particles like clay and mud held in water suspension, contributing to water color.

Bed Load

Larger sediment that moves along the stream bed through saltation and traction.

Dissolved Load

Ions dissolved in water from chemical weathering, important for ocean salinity.

Incised Meanders

Deeply cut meanders often formed by tectonic movements or sea-level changes.

Valleys

Formed in humid areas through downcutting and concurrent weathering of slopes.

Canyons

Typically formed in arid areas due to downcutting with minimal weathering.

V-shaped Valleys

Formed from active downcutting in humid regions.

Cut Banks

Outer bends of meanders where faster water flow leads to erosion.

Delta

Landform created at river mouths where sediment deposition exceeds erosion.

Point Bars

Deposits formed on the inside curves of meanders due to slower flow.

Braided Streams

Characterized by multiple channels due to high sediment loads.

Natural Levees

Ridges of coarser sediments deposited along riverbanks during floods.

Thermal Stratification

Layering of water temperatures in deeper lakes, affecting mixing and ecosystems.

Epilimnion

The upper layer of a thermally stratified lake, warm and well-oxygenated.

Thermocline

A layer in a stratified lake with rapid temperature change, limiting mixing.

Hypolimnion

The lower, colder, and denser layer of a stratified lake, often anoxic.

Eutrophication

Nutrient addition that can lead to excessive algal growth in lakes.

Hard Water

Water high in dissolved elements like calcium and magnesium, affecting aquatic life.

Soft Water

Water with lower ion concentrations, less buffering against pH changes.

Primary Producers

Microscopic algae that form the base of the aquatic food chain.

Algal Blooms

Rapid growth of algae due to nutrient over-enrichment, potentially harmful.

Macrophytes

Aquatic vegetation providing habitat and food for aquatic organisms.

Weathering

The breakdown of rocks through chemical reactions and physical processes.

Dissolution

Chemical weathering process where minerals dissolve in water.

Oxidation

Chemical reaction with oxygen that results in rusting of iron-rich rocks.

Hydrolysis

Chemical alteration of minerals by water, especially feldspar to clay.

Freeze-Thaw Weathering

Mechanical weathering involving the expansion of freezing water in rocks.

Root Wedging

Breakdown of rocks due to plant roots growing into fractures.

Soil Formation

The process of creating soil from weathered geological materials.

O Horizon

The organic top layer of soil primarily composed of organic debris.

A Horizon

Topsoil layer rich in humus and minerals.

E Horizon

Eluviation layer characterized by leaching and lighter color.

B Horizon

Subsoil layer that accumulates materials from upper layers.

C Horizon

Layer of weathered rocks, signifying the transition to bedrock.

Overgrazing

Loss of vegetative cover leading to increased soil erosion.

Dust Bowl

Ecological disaster caused by unsustainable farming practices and drought.

Mass Wasting

The movement of earth materials down a slope under the influence of gravity.

Falls

Rapid free fall of materials due to gravity, highly destructive.

Slides

Cohesive movement of materials down a slope, including landslides.

Flows

Water-saturated sediments moving as a viscous fluid.

Creep

Slow, imperceptible movement of soil or sediment causing structural tilting.

Steepness

The angle of slope influences mass wasting events.

Water Saturation

High water content in sediments increases weight and likelihood of movement.

Vegetation Removal

Exposal of soil to erosion and mass wasting due to loss of plants.

Tectonic Activity

Earth movements can trigger mass wasting by destabilizing slopes.

Radioactive Decay

Process by which an unstable parent isotope transforms into a stable daughter isotope.

Half-Life

Time taken for half of the parent isotope to decay into daughter isotopes.

Parent Isotope

The original radioactive isotope before decay.

Daughter Isotope

Stable isotope formed from the decay of the parent isotope.

Stratigraphic Relationships

Laws developed by Steno to determine geological age and relationships.

Law of Superposition

Older rock layers are below younger layers in a sequence.

Law of Original Horizontality

Sediments are deposited in horizontal layers due to gravity.

Law of Inclusions

Inclusions in a rock must be older than the rock surrounding them.

Law of Cross-Cutting Relationships

Features cutting through rocks must be younger than the rocks they disrupt.

Erosion

The process by which earth materials are worn away and transported.