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218 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Aquicludes
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impermeable materials composed of components such as clay or very dense rock, which hinder or prevent water movement.
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aquifers
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underground water is stored in, and moves slowly through, moderately to highly permeable rocks
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artesian well
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pressure that causes water to rise above the ground, free flow of water
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cone of depression
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the phenomenon the water table has sunk into the approximate shape of an inverted cone in the immediate vicinity of a well as the result of the removal of a considerable amount of the water
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ebb tide
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a periodic falling of the sea level during a tidal cycle
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flood tide
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the movement of ocean water toward the coast in a tidal cycle from the ocean's lowest surface level the water rises gradually for about 6 hours and 13 minutes
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Global conveyor-belt circulation
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slowly moving circulation of deep ocean water that forms a continuous loop from the North Atlantic to the Antarctic, into the Indian and Pacific Ocean, and back into the North Atlantic
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Groundwater
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water found underground in the zone of saturation
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hydrological cycle
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a series of storage areas interconnected by various transfer processes, in which there is a ceaseless interchange of moisture in terms of is geographical location fand its physical state
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iceberg
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a great chunk of floating ice that breaks off an ice shelf or end of an outlet glacier
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ice floe
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a mass of ice that breaks off from larger ice bodies and floats independently in the sea
usually used with large, flattish, tabular masses |
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ice pack
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the extensive and cohesive mass of a floating ice that is found in the Arctic and antarctic oceans
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ice shelf
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a massive portion of an ice sheet that projects out over the sea
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interstices
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the pore spaces; a labryrinth of interconnecting passageways among the soil particles that makes up nearly half the volume of an average soil
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lake
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a body of water surrounded by land
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marsh
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flattish surface area that is submerged in water at least part of the time but is shallow enough to permit the growth of water-tolerant-plants, primarily grasses and sedges
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neap tide
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the lower-than-normal tidal variations that occur twice a month as the result of the alignment of the Sun and Moon at right angle to one another
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permafrost
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permanent ground ice or permanently frozen subsoil
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permeability
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a soil or rock characteristic in which there are interconnected pore spaces through which water can move.
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piezometric surface
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the elevation to which water will rise under natural confining pressure in a well
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porosity
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the amount of pore space between the soil particles and between the peds, which is a measure of the capacity of the soil to hold water and air
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runoff
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flow of water from land to oceans by overland flow, stream-flow, and groundwater flow
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salinity
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a measure of the concentration of dissolved salts
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spring tide
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a time of maximum tide that occurs as a result of the alignment of Sun, Moon, and
Earth |
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subartesian well
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the free flow that results when a well is drilled from the surface down into a confined aquifer and which requires artificial pumping to raise the water to the surface because the confining pressure forces the water only partway up the well shaft
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swamp
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a flattish surface area that is submerged in water at least part of the time but is shallow enough to permit the growth of water tolerant plants predominantly trees.
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thermohaline circulation
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slow circulation of deep ocean water because of differences in water density that arise from differences in salinity and temperature
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tidal bore
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a wall of seawater several centimeters to several meters in height that rushes up a river as the result of enormous tidal inflow
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tidal range
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the vertical difference in elevation between high and low tide
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tides
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the rise and fll of coastal water levels caused by the alternate increasing and decreasing gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun on varying parts of Earth's surface
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waterless zone
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the fifth and lowermost hydrological zone that generally begins several kilometers or miles beneath the land surface and is characterized by the lack of water in pore spaces due to the great pressure and density of the rock
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zone of aeration (vadose zone)
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the topmost hydrological zone within the ground, which contains a fluctuating amount of moisture in the pore spaces of the soil
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zone of confined water
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the third hydrological zone below the surface of the ground, which contains one of more permeable rock layers into which water can infiltrate and is separated from the zone of saturation by impermeable layers
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zone of saturation (phreatic zone)
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the second hydrological zone below the surface of the ground, whose uppermost boundary is the water table. The pore spaces and cracks in the bedrock and the regolith of this zone are fully saturated.
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biogeography
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the study of the distribution patterns of plants and animals, and how these patterns change over time
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biomass
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the total mass of all living organisms in an ecosystem of per unit area
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biota
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total complex of plant and animal life
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carbon cycle
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the change from carbon dioxide to living matter and back to carbon dioxide
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decomposers
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mainly microscopic organisms such as bacteria that decompose dead plant and animal matter
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denitrification
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the conversion of nitrates into free nitrogen in the air
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edaphic factors
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having to do with soil
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fauna
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animals
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flora
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plants
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limiting factor
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variable that is important or most important in determining the survival of an organism
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net primary productivity
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the net photosynthesis of a plant community over a period of one year, usually measured in the amount of fixed carbon per unit area
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nitrogen cycle
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an endless series of processes in which nitrogen moves through the enviroment
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nitrogen fixation
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conversion of gaseous nitrogen into forms that can be used by plant life
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oxygen cycle
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the movement of oxygen by various processes through the enviroment
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photoperiodism
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the response of an organism to the length of exposure to light in a 24-hour period
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plant respiration
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stored energy in carbohydrates consumed directly by the plant itself; carbohydrates are oxidized, and heat energy
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plant succession
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the process whereby one type of vegetation is replaced naturally by another
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producers
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organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis; plant.
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secondary consumers
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animals that eat other animals, as the second and further stages in a food pyramid or chain
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A horizon
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upper soil layer in which humus and other organic material are mixed with mineral particles
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alfisol
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a widely distributed soil order distinguished by a subsurface clay horizon and a medium-to-generous supply of plant nutrients and water
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andisol
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soil order derived from volcanic ash
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aridisol
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a soil order occupying dry environments that do not have enough water to remove soluble minerals from the soil; typified by a thin profile that is sandy and lacking in organic matter
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B horizon
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mineral soil horizon located beneath the A horizon
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calcification
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one of the dominant peogenic regimes in areas where the principal soil moisture movement is upward because of a moisture deficit. this regime is characterized by a concentration of calcium carbonate in the B horizon forming a hardpan, an upward movement of CaCO3 by capillary water by grass roots, and a return of CaCO3 when grass dies
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C horizon
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lower soil layer composed of weathered parent material that has not been significantly affected by translocation or leaching
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colloid
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organic and inorganic microscopic particles of soil that represent the chemically active portion of particles in the soil.
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E horizon
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A light-colored, eluvial layer that usually occurs between the A and B horizon
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eluviation
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the process by which gravitational water picks up fine particles of soil from the upper layers and carries them downward
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Entisol
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the least developed of all soil orders, with little mineral alteration and no pedogenic horizons. these soils are commonly thin and or sandy and have limited productivity, although those developed on recent alluvial deposits tend to be quite fertile
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field capacity
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the maximum amount of water that can be retained in the soil after the gravitation water has drained away.
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Gelisol
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soil order that develops in area of permafrost
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gleization
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the dominant pedogenic regime in areas where the soil is saturated most of the time due to poor drainage
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gley soil
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the general team for soils produced by gleazation
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histosol
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a soil order characterized by organic, rather than mineral, soils, which is invariable saturated with water all or most of the time
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horizon
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the more or less distinctly recognizable layer of soil, distinguished from one another by differing characteristics and forming a vertical zonation of the soil
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humus
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a dark-colored, gelatinous, chemically stable fraction of organic matter on or in the soil
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illuviation
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the process by which fine particles of soil from the upper layers are deposited at a lower level
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inceptisol
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an immature order of soils that has relatively faint characteristics; not yet prominent enough to produce diagnostic horizons
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laterization
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the dominant pedogenic regime in areas where temperatures are relatively high throughout the year and which is characterized by rapid weathering of parent material, dissolution of nearly all minerals, and the speedy decomposition of organic matter
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latisol
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the general term applied to soils produced by laterization
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leaching
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the process in which gravitational water dissolves soluble materials and carries them downward in solution to be redeposited at lower levels
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litter
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the collection of dead plant parts that accumulate at the surface of the soil
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loam
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a soil texture in which none of the three principal soil separates sand, silt, and clay dominates the other two
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mollisol
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a soil order characterized by the presence of the mollic epipedon, which is a mineral surface horizon that is dark, thick, contains abundant humus and base nutrients, and retains a soft character when it dries out
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O horizon
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the immediate surface layer of a soil profile, consisting mostly of organic material
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oxisol
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the most thoroughly weathered and leached of all soils, this soil order invariable displays a high degree of mineral alteration and profile development
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parent material
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the source of the weathered frgments of rock from which soil is made; solid bedrock or loose sediments that have been transported from elsewhere by the action of water, wind, or ice
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pedogenic regime
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soil-forming regimes that can be thought of as environmental settings in which certain physical/chemical/biological processes prevail
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peds
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a larger mass or clump that individual soil paarticles tend to aggregate into and that determines the structure of the soil
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podzol
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general term for a soil formed by podzolization
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podzolization
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the dominant pedogenic regime in areas where winters are long and cold, and which is characterized by slow chemical weathering of soils and rapid mechanical weatherging from trost action, resulting in soils that are shallow acidic, and with fairly distinctive profile
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regolith
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a layer of broken and partly decomposed rock particles that covers bedrock
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R horizon
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the consolidate bedrock at the base of a soil profile
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salinization
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one of the dominant pedogenic regimes in areas where principal soil moisture movements up ward because of a moisture deficit
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separates
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the size groups within the standard classifications of soil particle sizes
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soil
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an infinitely varying mixture of weathered mineral particles, decaying organic matter, living organisms, gases, and liquid solutions. soil is that part of the outer "skin" of Earth occupied by plant roots
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soil order
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the highest level of soil classification in soil taxonomy
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soil profile
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a vertical cross section from Earth's surface down through the soil layers into the parent material beneath
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soil taxonomy
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the system of soil classification currently in use in the US. it is genetic in nature and focuses on the existing properties of the soil rather than on environment, genesis, of properties it would possess under virgin conditions
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soil-water balance
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the relationship between gain, loss, and storage of soil water
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soil-water budget
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an accounting that demonstrates the variation of the soil-water balance over a period of time
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solum
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the true soil that includes only the top four horizon: O, the organic surface layer; A, the topsoil; E, the eluvial layer; and B, the subsoil
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spodosol
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a soil order characterized by the occurrence of s specific subsurface horizon, which is an illuvial layer where organic matter and aluminum accumulate, and which has a dark, sometimes reddish, color
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ultisol
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a soil order similar to alfisols, but more thoroughly weathered and more completely leached of bases
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vertisol
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a soil order comprising a specialized type of soil that contains a large quantity of clay and has an exceptional capacity for absorbing water.
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wilting point
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point where plants are no longer able to extract moisture from the soil because the capillary water is all used up or evaporated
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asthenosphere
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plastic layer of the upper mantle that underlies the lithosphere. Its rock is very hot and therefore weak and easily deformed
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basalt
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fine-grained, dark volcanic rock; low silica content
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contact metamorphism
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metamorphism of surrounding rocks by contact with magma
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crust
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the outermost solid layer of earth
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external (geomorphic) process
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Destructive processes that serve to denude or wear down the landscape. Includes weathering, mass wasting, and erosion
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geomorphology
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the study of the characteristics, origin, , and development of landforms
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granite
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the most common and well-known plutonic (intrusive) rock; coarse-grained rock consisting of both dark and light colored minerals
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igneous rock
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Rock formed by the emplacement and cooling of magma below the surface
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inner core
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the solid, dense, innermost portion of Earth, believed to consist largely of iron and nickel
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internal (geomorphic) process
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geomorphic process originating below the surface; include vulcanism, folding, and faulting
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isostacy
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maintenance of the hydrostatic equilibrium of Earth's crust
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landform
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an individual topographic feature, of any size
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lava
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molten magma that is extruded onto the surface of Earth, where it cools and solidifies
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lithosphere
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tectonic plates consisting of the crust and upper rigid mantle. also used as a general term for the entire solid Earth
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magma
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molten material below Earth's surface
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mantle
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the portion of Earth beneath the crust and surrounding the core
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metamorphic rock
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rock that was originally something else but has been drastically changed by massive forces of heat and or pressure working on it from within Earth
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mineral
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a naturally formed solid inorganic substance that has a specified chemical composition
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Mohorovicic discontinuity (Moho)
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the boundary between Earth's crust and mantle. Also known simply as the Moho
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outcrop
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surface exposure of bedrock
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outer core
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the liquid shell beneath the mantle that encloses Earth's inner core.
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plutonic (intrusive) igneous rock
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igneous rock formed below ground from the cooling and solidification of magma
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pyroclastics
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solid rock fragments thrown into the air by volcanic explosions
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regional metamorphism
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widespread subsurface metamorphism of rock as a result of prolonged exposure to heat and high pressure
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relief
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the difference in elevation between the highest and lowest points in an area; the vertical variation from the mountain top to valley bottom
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rock
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solid material composed of aggregated mineral particles
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rock cycle
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term given to the long-term "recycling" of mineral material from one kind of rock to another
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sedimentary rock
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rock formed of sediment that is consolidated by the combination of pressure and cementation
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silicate
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a category of minerals composed of silicon and oxygen combined with another element or elements
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strata
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distinct layers of sediment
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topography
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surface configuration of Earth
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uniformitarianism
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the concept that the present is the key to the past in geomorphic processes. the processes now operating have also operated in the same way in the past
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volcanic (extrusive) rock
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igneous rock formed on the surface of earth
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leaching
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the process in which gravitational water dissolves soluble materials and carries them downward in solution to be redeposited at lower levels
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Eluviation
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the process by which gravitational water picks up fine particles of soil from the upper layers and carries them downward
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Illuviation
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the process by which fine particles of soil from the upper layers are deposited at a lower layer
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Rossby Waves
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A very large north-south undulation of the upper-air westerlies
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water spouts
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similar funnel clouds overwater bodies
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easterly wave
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long, weak, slow moving trough of low pressure within the belt of the tropical easterlies
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Weak equatorial low
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weak, slow moving low pressure center (cyclone) accompanied by numerous convectional showers and thunderstorms
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tornado
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a localized cyclonic low-pressure cell surrounded by a whirling cylinder of wind spinning so violently that centrifugal force creates a partial vacuum within the funnel
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oxidation
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chemical union of O2 atoms with atoms from various metallic elements to form new products which are voluminous, softer and more easily eroded than the original compunds
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hydrolysis
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chemical union of water with another substance to produce a new compound that is nearly always softer and weaker than the original compound
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carbonation
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process in which CO2 in water reacts with carbonate rocks to produce a very soluble product [Ca(HCO3)2]. this product can be removed by runoff and percolation and deposited elsewhere.
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mass wasting
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the spontaneous downhill movement of soil, regolith and bedrock under the influence of gravity, sometimes lubricated by the presence of water
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angel of repose
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steepest angle that can be assumed by loose fragments on a slope without any downslope movement
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quick clay
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clay formations that spontaneously change from a solid mass into a near-liquid condition as a result of a sudden shock or disturbance (very mobile)
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talus
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pieces of rock that fall directly downslope
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talus slope
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talus that accumulates relatively uniformly along the base of the slope
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talus cone
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sloping, cone-shaped heaps of dislodged talus
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slump
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a slope collapse with a backward rotation
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flow
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a gentle, smooth motion as when a sector of slope becomes unstable, normally due to the addition of water, and slips gently downhill. usually gradual and sluggish
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earthflow
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moderately rapid downhill flowage of masses of water-saturated soil, regolith, or weak shale, typically forming a step-like terrace at the top and a bulging toe at the base.
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mudflow
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a form of mass wasting consisting of the downslope movement of a thick mixture of water and mineral fragments, usually following a natural drainage line or stream channel
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alluvium
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any stream-deposited sedimentary material
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alluvial fan
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a fan-shaped deposition laid down be a stream issuing from a mountain canyon
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soil creep
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extremely slow downhill movement of soil and regolith as a result of continued agitation and disturbance of the particles by numerous activities
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terracettes
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a complicated terracing effect, resembling a network of faint trail, which is produced by soil creep, usually on steep, grassy slopes
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solufication
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a special form of creep that occurs in the summer. the near-surface portion of the ground thaws, but the meltwater cannot percolate deeper because of the permafrost below. the spaces between the soil particles become saturated, and the heavy surface material sags slowly downslope
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exfoliation
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weathering process in which curved layers peel off of the bedrock in sheets.
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terrane
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a mass of continental crust that has become fused to a tectonic plate margin that has different lithological characteristics from those of the terrane
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mantle plume
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a location where molten mantle magma rises to , or almost to, the Earth's surface
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broad warping
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uplift or depression of the Earth's surface
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monocline
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a one-sided fold connecting horizontal or gently inclined strata
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anticline
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a simple symmetrical (archlike) upfold
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syncline
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a simple symmetrical (troughlike) downfold
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overturned fold
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an upfold that has been pushed from one side so forcefully that it becomes oversteepened enough to have a reverse orientation on the other side
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overthrust fold
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a fold in which the pressure was great enough to break the oversteepened limb and cause a shearing movement
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fault scarp
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a steep cliff formed by faulting
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highland icefields
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ice sheet that covers thousands of km except some protruding pinnacles called nunataks
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valley glacier
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a long, narrow feature resembling a river of ice, which spills out of its originating basins and flows down-valley
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piedmont glacier
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a valley glacier that extends to the mouth of the valley and spreads out broadly over the flat land beyond
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alpine glacier
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individual glacier that develops near a mountain crest line and normally moves down valley for some distance
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cirque glacier
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a small glacier confined to its cirque and not moving down-valley
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moraine
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term for glacier-deposited landforms made of till
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terminal morain
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makes outermost limit of glacial advance... max extent
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recessional moraine
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ridges that mark where ice front was temp. stabilized during retreat of glacier
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ground moraine
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formed when large quantities of till are laid down from under glacier
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eskers
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long sinuous ridges of stratified drife
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eratic
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a huge boulder resting on completely different type of bedrock in glacial zones
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monocline
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one-sided fold connecting horizontal or gently inclined strata
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anticline
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simple symmetrical up fold(arch)
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syncline
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simple symmetrical down fold(trough)
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overturned
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up fold pushed from 1 side so it becomes over steepened enough 2 have reverse orientation
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overthrust
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fold where pressure is enough 2 break oversteepened limb and cause sheering movement
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normal fault
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result of tension making steeply inclined plain w/block of land on 1 side pushed up or upthrown in relation to block on the other side which is downthrown, most common
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reverse fault
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fault made by compression w/ upthrown block rising downthrown block so fault scarp would be severely oversteepened if erosion didnt act to smooth slope
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transform (strike-slip) fault
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fault made by shearing w/adjacent blocks displaced laterally w/respect to one another, only horizontal
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sag ponds
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2 land moves to create hole that fills w/water
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stream course displacements
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when straight rivers has turns in them due to strike-slip faults
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overthrust fault
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fault created by compression forcing upthrown block to override downthrown block at relatively low angle
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fault block mountains
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mountain formed by conditions of crustal stress where surface block may be faulted and upthrown on one side without any faulting or uplift on other side, block tilted asymmetrically making steep slope along fault scarp and a gentle slope on other side of block
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vulcanism
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general term about movement of magma from interior to or near the surface
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shield volcano
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volcanoes built up in lengthy outpouring of fluid basaltic lava
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cinder cone
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small common volcano composed primarily of pyroclastic material blasted out from vent in small but intense explosions. structure of volcano is conical hill loose material
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composite volcanoes
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volcanoes w/symmetrical cone-shaped peak made by mix of lava outpouring and pyroclastic explosion, most devastating
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caldera
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large steep-sided roughly circular depression resulting from explosion and subsidence of large volcano
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flood basalt
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large-scale outpouring of basaltic lava that may cover extensive area of earth's surface
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stoping
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one removal by upward movement
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batholith
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largest and most amorphous of igneous rock
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stock
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small body of igneous rock intruded into older rock, amorphous in shape and indefinite in depth
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laccolith
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igneous intrusion made when viscous magma is forced between horizontal layers of preexisting rock, magma resists flowing and builds up to a mushroom-shaped mass that domes overlying strata
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dike
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vertical or nearly vertical sheet of magma thrust upward to preexisting rock, most widespread
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sill
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long thin intrusive body formed when magma is forced between 2 layers of preexisting rock to solidify eventually into a sheet
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veins
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small igneous intrusions usually w/vertical orientation, least prominent igneous intrusion
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pluton
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large intrusive igneous body
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seismic sea wave
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very long sea wave generated by submarine quake or volcanic eruption
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denudation
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total effect of all actions that lower surface of continents
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geostrophic wind
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a wind that moves parallel to the isobars as a result of the balance between the pressure gradient force and the coriolis effect
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coriolis effect
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the apparent deflection of free-moving objects to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere, in response to the rotation of the Earth
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monsoon
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a seasonal reversal of winds; a general onshore movement in summer and a general offshore flow in winter, with a very distinctive seasonal precipitation regime.
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katabatic wind
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a wind that originates in cold upland areas and cascades toward lower elevations under the influence of gravity
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chinook wind
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a localized downslope wind of relatively dry and warm air, which is further warmed adiabatically as it moves down the leeward slope of the Rocky mtns.
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absolute humidity
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a direct measure of the water vapor content of air, expressed as the weight of water vapor
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specific humidity
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a direct measure of the water vapor content of air expressed as the mass of water vapor in a given mass of air.
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relative humidity
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an expression of the amount of water vapor in the air in comparison with the total amount
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latent heat
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energy released when a substance changes state
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