SCIENCE 2ND SEMESTER VOCAB LIST

1. Geologic feature = details of Earth’s surface created by geology. Example: volcanos, mountains, trenches, canyons, etc

2. Weathering = the process by which rock materials are broken down by the action of physical and chemical processes

3. Sediment = fragments of weathered rock, and an important part of soil

4. Surface area = the amount of space covering the outside of something; Larger rocks tend to weather more slowly because they have a smaller surface area than many smaller rocks put together with the same volume. Example

5. Physical weathering = the mechanical breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces. Examples: temperature changes, pressure changes, interactions with plants, animals, water, wind, ice, gravity

6. Abrasion = when wind or water scratches rock surfaces. 

7. Chemical weathering = the chemical decomposition of rocks that changes the chemistry of the rock. Example: Acid rain, oxidation, plants and animals release chemicals to weaken the strength of a rock 

8. Oxidation = when oxygen chemically reacts with molecules and changes the type of rock. Example: steel turns to rust; copper turns from brown to green.

9. Acid Precipitation = when chemical pollution gets into the rainwater, making it more acidic. 

10. Climate and weathering = Physical weathering tends to happen in cold, wet climates (ice). Chemical weathering tends to happen in warm, wet climates (plants, animals). Warm, wet climates weather rocks the fastest. Dry climates tend to result in less weathering. 

11. Erosion = the process by which wind, water, ice or gravity transport weathered material from one location to another (physical change)

12. Butte = rock formations created by wind abrasion, found in Arizona

13. Canyon = is formed when a river erodes sediments away, creating a narrow valley with steep sides

14. Runoff = when water carries away soil and sediments

15. Deposition = when eroded materials are dropped or laid down (physical change)

16. Delta = where a river slows down and deposits sediments

17. Glacier = a large ice formation that lasts year round. Glaciers formed the Great Lakes.

18. Moraine = materials that a glacier drops off in a mountain valley, like erratics (large rocks) and other sediments

19. Sand dune = accumulation of sand on land

Sand bar = accumulation of sand in water