Geology Terms

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global warming

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The prediction that climatewill warmas a result of the addition to the atmosphere of humanly produced greenhousegases.

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mean sea level curve

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representationof changes in sea level throughout history

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ice core records

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cylinder shapedsample of ice drilled from a glacier

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Tundra

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type of biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons

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runaway climate change

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or runaway global warming is hypothesized to follow a tipping point in the climate system

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icehouse conditions

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planets climate, fluctuates throughout history btwn this and greenhouse condition

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Spheroidal weathering

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form of chemical weathering that affects jointed bedrock and results in the formation of concentric or spherical layers of highly decayed rock

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laterites

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A highly weathered red soil rich in iron and aluminum oxides. Typically formed in a tropical to temperate climate where intense chemical weathering is common.

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pedalfers

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A generic term used to describe the soils typically formed in a humid region. Characteristically have an accumulation of iron and aluminum oxides and hydroxides.

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Talus slope

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A slope built up by the accumulation of rock waste at the foot of a cliff or ridge.

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solifluction

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Turbulent movement of saturated soil or surficial debris.

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badlands topography

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type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water

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Desert

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a dry and windy stretch of land

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Rain Shadow

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Deserts formed by blocking moisture-bearing winds with mountain barriers.

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Tropics

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region of the Earth surrounding the Equator

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Loess

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Deposits of wind-borne dust.

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Saltation

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A process of sediment transport in which a particle jumps from one point to another.

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Caliche

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Gravel, sand, or desert debris cemented by calcium carbonate, an accumulated product of chemical weathering in a dry climate.

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venifacts

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A pebble, cobble, or boulder faceted by wind driven sand.

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desert varnish

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the thin red to black coating found on exposed rock surfaces in arid regions

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Sabkhas

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are supratidal, forming along arid coastlines

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dunes

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hill formations of sand

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river gradient

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measured by the ratio of drop in elevation of a stream per unit horizontal distance

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laminer flow

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Fluid flow in which flow lines are distinct, and parallel and do not mix

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turbulent flow

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Fluid flow in which the flow lines are confused and mixed

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meandering

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flow in a winding course

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Braided stream

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A stream with a complex tangle of converging and diverging channels

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Atoll

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roughly circular reef with an occasional coral sand island surrounding a shallow lagoon

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Sea Stack

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blocks of erosion-resistant rock isolated from the land by sea

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Drowned coast

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submerged coastline

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wave cut terrace

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waves cut into land making jagged formation

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eustatic sea level

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worldwide change in sea level, such as caused by melting glaciers.

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raised beach

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marine terrace, or perched coastline is an emergent coastal landform.

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double diffusive convection

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form of convection driven by two different density gradients

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long shore drift

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general movement of sediment parallel to the shoreline. Waves generally carry sediment up the shore face at an angle to the shoreline

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rip tide

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Carries excess water in the longshore current out through the surf zone where it dissipates.

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phreatic zone

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zone of saturation, is the area in an aquifer, below the water table

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vadose zone

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position at which the groundwater (the water in the soil's pores) is at atmospheric pressure

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aquifer

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underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock from which groundwater can be extracted using a water well

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aquitard

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water-saturated sediment or rock whose permeability is so low it cannot transmit any useful amount of water

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Aquiclude

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any geological formation that absorbs and holds water but does not transmit it at a sufficient rate to supply springs, wells

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artesian spring

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water in the aquifer is under pressure that raises the water above the point that the well first encounters it.

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Stalactite

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An icicle-shaped accumulation of dripstone hanging from cave roof.

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stalagmite

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A post of dripstone growing up from a cave floor.

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geochemical cycle

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pathway that chemical elements take in the surface and crust of the Earth

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Geochemical reservoir

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pathway that chemical elements take in the surface and crust of the Earth