GEOG 121 Chapters 9 & 15: Hydrologic Cycle and Weathering

What is the Hydrologic Cycle?

The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.

What drives Ocean Circulation?

Ocean circulation is driven by wind, water density differences, and the Earth's rotation.

What is the Cryosphere?

The cryosphere refers to the frozen water part of the Earth system, including glaciers, ice caps, and sea ice.

What is Groundwater?

Groundwater is water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers.

What are the two main types of weathering?

Physical weathering and chemical weathering.

What is Mass Wasting?

Mass wasting is the movement of soil and rock down a slope due to gravity, which can occur in forms such as fall, slide, slump, flow, and creep.

What percentage of Earth's moisture is found in oceans, lakes, rivers, glacial ice, or rocks beneath the surface?

99%

What are the three primary movement types in the hydrologic cycle?

Surface to air, air to surface, and beneath the surface.

What percentage of precipitation falls on oceans?

78%

What happens to water that collects in lakes and rivers?

It either penetrates the ground or runs off if sloped.

What is the largest ocean on Earth?

The Pacific Ocean.

What is salinity and how does it affect ocean water?

Salinity is the concentration of salts in water, affecting its density.

What causes ocean currents?

Surface wind patterns and the Earth's rotation.

What are the two main forces that cause tides?

Gravitational attraction of the Moon and the Sun.

What is permafrost?

Permanently frozen ground ice.

What is the Ogallala Aquifer?

A significant aquifer in the United States that is being depleted due to human use.

What are ephemeral lakes?

Lakes that only contain water sporadically.

What is the difference between swamps and marshes?

Swamps grow trees, while marshes grow grasses and rushes.

What are the three principal categories of weathering?

Mechanical, chemical, and biotic.

What is frost wedging?

The freeze-thaw action of water that causes physical disintegration of rock.

What is chemical weathering?

Decomposition of rock through chemical alteration of minerals.

How does climate affect weathering?

High temperatures and abundant precipitation increase chemical weathering.

What is creep in the context of mass wasting?

Unobtrusive downslope flow of soil and regolith influenced by freeze/thaw cycles.

What is a landslide?

An instantaneous mass collapse of material, often triggered by rainfall or earthquakes.

What are earthflows and mudflows?

Earthflows are water-saturated land moving downhill; mudflows are muddy downslope flows that can carry large rock material.

What is exfoliation in mechanical weathering?

Curved layers peel off bedrock due to pressure release.

What is the role of biological weathering?

Plants and animals alter rock structure, contributing to weathering processes.

What is the difference between the zone of aeration and the zone of saturation?

The zone of aeration is close to the surface with fluctuating water amounts, while the zone of saturation has pore spaces filled with water.

What are talus cones?

Cone-shaped heaps of rockfall material that accumulate at the base of slopes.

What is the significance of the water table?

It intersects the surface, allowing water to flow out into lakes and swamps.