Studied by 0 people100-year flood events
1%
chemical processes
oxidation, dissolution, hydrolysis
physical processes
exhumation, wegding, thermal expansion/contraction
The three/four key components (ingredients) needed to produce soils are:
Mineral matter (rock fragments)
Organic matter (dead plant and animal material)
Water
Air (sometimes considered optional)
In a sentence or two, identify and discuss in what ways latitude plays a role in determine where there is high or low precipiation rates.
regions located near the equator receive higher precipitation rates due to the intense solar radiation and the formation of convective clouds, while regions located closer to the poles receive lower precipitation rates due to the lower solar radiation and the predominance of cold air masses.
Which of the following river variables tends to decrease as you move downstream?
flow competence
flows
An arrow pointing towards a reservoir is a flow in. An arrow pointing away from a reservoir is a flow out.
glacial depositional features:
moraines (end/terminal vs. lateral vs. medial), glacial erratics, dropstones,
drumlins, kettle lakes/holes, eskers
glacial erosoin features:
u-shaped valleys, hanging valleys, cirques, horns, aretes,
glacial striations, glacial polish, roche moutonnees
warm/wet-based glaciers
cold/dry-based glaciers
a horizon
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
ablation zone
area or zone of a glacier where snow and ice ablation exceed accumulation
Accumulation zone
portion of the glacier above the snowline where new material is added to the glacier and the glacier grows (positive budget)
Along a river's meander, where do you expect erosion to occur? Where do you expect deposition to occur? Why do you see this spatial pattern?
erosion is expected to occur along the outer bank of the meander bend, while deposition is expected to occur along the inner bank of the meander bend.
The outer bank of the meander bend experiences faster water flow, more erosion
atmosphere
A mixture of gases that surrounds a planet or moon.
atmospheric circulation cell
Large circuit of air driven by uneven solar heating and the Coriolis effect. Three circulation cells form in each hemisphere.
atmospheric circulation cells
Hadley Cell vs. Ferrel Cell vs. Polar Cell
b horizon
A soil horizon composed primarily of mineral material with very little organic matter
Be able to calculate the mass balance and residence time of a reservoir if you're given the values of the flows in and flows out & the reservoir size
Mass_in - Mass_out = Change in mass
Be able to use the recurrence interval equation to calculate the recurrence interval (or probability) of a flood event
Recurrence interval (T) = (N+1) / M
Where: N = the number of years in the record M = the rank of the flood event
Biosphere
part of Earth in which life exists including land, water, and air or atmosphere
c horizon
The least-weathered soil horizon, which always occurs beneath the B horizon and is similar to the parent material.
calculate (and interpret) the mass balance and residence time of a soil profile given data on its thickness and production rate and erosion rate.
Production rate - Erosion rate = Change in mass
Residence time = Soil profile thickness / Erosion rate
carbonates
Minerals that contain the elements carbon, oxygen, and one or more other metallic elements
cirque glaciers
fill mountain top bowls
clastic rock
a sedimentary rock formed when rock fragments are squeezed together- glued together
cold front
A front where cold air moves in under a warm air mass.Cold fronts are usually associated with rapidly changing weather conditions, such as thunderstorms, heavy rain, or even tornadoes.
Components of the water cycle
atmosphere, oceans, glaciers & ice sheets, groundwater, land surface + biosphere
Concentration
percent (%), per mil (‰), parts per million (ppm)
core
The central part of the earth below the mantle most dense
crust
The thin and solid outermost layer of the Earth above the mantle- least dense
Cryosphere
Frozen water on earth
deep water waves
waves that move in water deeper than one-half their wavelength
depositional river features
Depositional river features are landforms created by the deposition of sediment carried by a river. point bars, deltas
differentiate between a rock and mineral
Mineral is homogeneous while rocks are heterogenous and are made up of different minerals
dissolution
the breaking up or dissolving of something into parts; disintegration
e horizon
A zone of leaching, or eluviation, found in some acidic soils under the O horizon or, less often, the A horizon
equilibrium line
the place on a glacier where snow accumulation and melting are in balance
Erosion
Processes by which rock, sand, and soil are broken down and carried away (i.e. weathering, glaciation)
erosion Turbulent Fluids
particle will be put in motion (starting at rest) by energy in flow
erosional river feature
Erosional river features are landforms created by the action of running water that erodes and removes material from the landscape. = v-shape, meanders,
evapotranspiration
The combined amount of evaporation and transpiration
exhumation
The process (involving uplift and erosion) that returns deeply buried rocks to the surface.
ferrel cell
The Ferrel cell is a zone of stormy weather, with low pressure systems and frontal boundaries that separate warm and cold air masses. It is responsible for much of the mid-latitude weather, including the prevailing westerly winds, the jet stream, and the mid-latitude cyclones that bring rain and snow to many parts of the world.
flow capacity
The maximum flow for an arc of the network. The flow capacity in one direction may not equal the flow capacity in the reverse direction.
Flow Competence
Stream competence refers to the heaviest particles a stream can carry. Stream competence depends on stream velocity
glacial abrasion
The result of the scraping of rocks that are imbedded in the ice of the glacier against the rock bed beneath the glacier.
glacial accumulation
ablation
glacial erosional features:
U-shaped valley, hanging valleys, cirques, horns, aretes, glacial striations, glacial polish, roche moutonnée, moraines (end/terminal vs. lateral vs. medial), glacial erratics, dropstones, drumlins, kettle lakes/holes
glacial incorporation
rock is surrounded, frozen into the ice, and carried off
glacial plucking
an erosional process by which rocks are pulled out of the ground by a glacier
glacial sediments:
till vs. rock flour
till
Till is an unsorted and unstratified sedimentary deposit of glacial origin, made up of a range of different-sized particles that have been transported and deposited by a glacier
hadley cell
The Hadley cell is responsible for much of the Earth's tropical weather and the formation of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) near the equator. It is also responsible for the formation of subtropical deserts such as the Sahara Desert and the Atacama Desert.
headwater [landscape] features:
v-shaped valley, slot canyon, stair-step canyon
headwater features:
v-shaped valleys, slot canyons, stair-step canyons
headwaters
the source of a stream or river
high pressure system
lower temperatures, clear skies, very small amount of precipitation
high pressure systems
here air sinks slowly down to the ground and then spreads out to areas of lower pressure; brings clear skies and calm air or gentle breezes
How does the amount of freshwater on Earth compared to the amount of salty water?
Over 97 percent of the earth's water is found in the oceans as salt water. Two percent of the earth's water is stored as fresh water in glaciers, ice caps, and snowy mountain ranges.
hydrolysis
the chemical breakdown of a compound due to reaction with water.
Hydrosphere
All the water on earth
ice caps
areas covered with thick ice year round
ice sheets
enormous ice masses that flow in all directions from one or more centers and cover everything but the highest land
igneous rock
rock that forms when magma cools and solidifies
In what ways are hypotheses, theories, and laws similar?
evidence, exploratory,
In what ways are sediments, soils, and regolith similar?In what ways are they different?
-are all types of earth materials that can be found on or near the surface of the Earth.
- composed of a mixture of mineral particles, organic matter, and water.
they differ in terms of their size and origin: sediments are loose particles that have been transported and deposited by water or wind, soils are formed by the weathering of rocks and organic matter, and regolith is the layer of loose material that covers solid rock on planetary surfaces.
In what ways are the dissolution and hydrolysis forms of chemical weathering similar in terms of how they alter rocks? In what ways are these two forms of chemical weathering different?
Similarities:
Both involve the breakdown of minerals through chemical reactions with water.
Both can result in the alteration or dissolution of minerals in the rock.
Both can lead to the formation of new minerals as a result of the chemical reactions involved.
Differences:
Dissolution involves the direct reaction of minerals with water, which can lead to the complete dissolution of some minerals, while hydrolysis involves the reaction of minerals with water and other substances, such as acids or bases.
Hydrolysis typically involves the breakdown of silicate minerals, while dissolution can affect a wider range of minerals.
Hydrolysis can result in the formation of clay minerals, which can be more stable and resistant to weathering than the original minerals in the rock, while dissolution generally does not lead to the formation of new minerals.
In what ways are the flows in a system (that passes a conserved quantity) related to the interactions in that system?
The interactions between components in a system determine how mass or energy is transferred between them. The rate and direction of flows in the system are determined by the strength and nature of these interactions. The type of interactions in the system can affect the efficiency of the flow of mass or energy. If the interactions between components change, this can affect the flows of mass or energy in the system. Any imbalances or disruptions in the flows of mass or energy can be an indication of problems or changes in the system's interactions. Understanding the relationship between flows and interactions can be useful in modeling and predicting the behavior of complex systems.
Infiltration
the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil
interactions of water cycle
precipitation, evaporation, evapotranspiration, surface runoff, infiltration, percolation, groundwater flow, melting
Lithosphere
the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.
low pressure system
a weather system that usually brings cloudiness and stormy weather
low pressure systems
a large weather system that surrounds a center of low pressure; air moves toward the lowest pressure, low pressure systems can become storms
mantle
The layer of hot, solid material between Earth's crust and core.
metamorphic rock
rock that has been changed by heat and pressure
mid-latitude westerlies
convection currents occur from the equator to ~30° latitude. some of the warm air meets cold polar air and low pressure forms at ~60° latitude. surface air moving north turns to the right.
middle [landscape] features:
meanders, cut banks, point bars, cutoffs, oxbow lakes
middle features
meanders, cut banks, point bars, cutoffs, oxbow lakes
mountain glaciers
flow from high to low elevation in mountain settings
mouth
end
mouth [landscape] features:
delta
o horizon
The organic horizon at the surface of many soils, composed of organic detritus in various stages of decomposition
ocean density
Density in the ocean varies due to water temperature and salinity levels. Cold, salty water is most dense. Warm, less salty water is least dense.
ocean salinity
35%
oxidation
A chemical change in which a substance combines with oxygen, as when iron oxidizes, forming rust
Percolation
The downward movement of water through soil and rock due to gravity.
percolation
the process of a liquid slowly passing through a filter
piedmont glaciers
spread out at the end of a valley
polar cell
Cells of air circulation occurring between 60 degrees north and south and each pole.
polar easterlies
Prevailing winds that blow from east to west between 60degrees-90degrees latitude in both hemisphere.
pressure systems
the different atmospheric pressure that affects weather
prevailing winds
Global winds that blow constantly from the same direction
primary gases
nitrogen and oxygen
Probability of a flood
P = 1/R
quantitative features of reservior
reservoir size, mass balance, and residence time
recurrence interval (of a flood)
the average time that will pass between floods of a given discharge
Regolith
the layer of rock and mineral fragments that nearly everywhere covers Earth's surface
reservoir model
incorporates all the characteristics of the reservoir that are pertinent to its ability to store hydrocarbons and also to produce them.
Note
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