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48 Cards in this Set
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- Back
large area of land where the topography is made up mainly of one type of landform
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landform region
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moved by erosion and consists of pieces of rock or soil or the remains of plants or animals
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sediment
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occurs when the agents of erosion lay down sediment
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deposition
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flat, wide area of land along a river which is sometimes covered with water -- especially during the spring
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flood plain
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looplike bend in the course of a river
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meander
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forms when a meander has been cut off from the river
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oxbow lake
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landform created by sediment as a river flows into a larger body of water such as an ocean or lake
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delta
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a wide sloping deposit of sediment formed where a stream leaves a mountain range
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alluvial fan
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a deposit that hangs like an icicle from the roof of a cave
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stalactite
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a cone shaped deposit on the floor of a cave formed by the slow dripping from the ceiling
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stalagmite
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the geologic processes that operate today also operated in the past
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uniformitarianism
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process of wearing down and carrying away rocks
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erosion
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process that breaks down rock and other substances through heat, cold, water, ice, and gases
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weathering
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rock is physically broken into smaller pieces
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mechanical weathering
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rock is broken down by chemical changes
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chemical weathering
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the wearing away of rock by rock particles carried by water, ice, wind, or gravity
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abrasion
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occurs when water seeps into cracks in rocks, freezes and expands, causing the rock to break apart
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frost wedging
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iron combines with oxygen in the presence of water, forming rust
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oxidation
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describes a material full of tiny, connected air spaces that allow water to seep through it
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permeable
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loose, weathered material on Earth's surface in which plants can grow
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soil
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solid layer of rock beneath the soil
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bedrock
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dark colored substance that forms as plant and animal remains decay, creating spaces for air and water and contains nutrients that plants need
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humus
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a measure of how well the soil supports plant growth
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fertility
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soil that is made up of about equal parts of clay, sand, and silt; the best soil for growing plants
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loam
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measures acidity
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pH scale
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a layer of soil that differs in color, texture, and composition from the layers above or below it
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soil horizon
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the A horizon of soil; a crumbly dark brown soil that is a mixture of humus, clay, and other minerals
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topsoil
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the B horizon of soil; consists of clay and other particles of rock but little humus, formed as rainwater washes through the layer above
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subsoil
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the organisms that break the remains of dead organisms into smaller pieces and digest them with chemicals
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decomposers
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map which shows the surface features of an area
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topographic map
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connects points of equal elevation on a topographic map
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contour line
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the change in elevation from one contour line to the next
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contour interval
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every fifth contour line that is darker and heavier than the others
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index contour
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the height above sea level of a point on Earth's surface
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elevation
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a large groove in the soil that carries runoff after a rainstorm
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gully
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feature of topography formed by the processes that shape Earth's surface
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landform
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landform with high elevation and high relief
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mountain
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group of mountains that are closely related in shape, structure, area, and age
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mountain range
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a landform made up of nearly flat or gently rolling land with low relief
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plain
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landform with high elevation and low relief
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plateau
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the difference in elevation between the highest and lowest parts of an area
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relief
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tiny groove in the soil formed by runoff
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rill
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water that moves over the land and carries particles with it
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runoff
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a channel along which water is continually flowing down a slope
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stream
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the shape of the land
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topography
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a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or river
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tributary
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the force that causes rock and sediment to move downhill
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gravity
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any one of several processes that move sediment downhill; caused by gravity
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mass movement
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