Erosional Forces

Front 1

erosion

Back 1

process in which surface materials are worn away and transported from one place to another by agents such as gravity, water, wind, and glaciers.

Front 2

deposition

Back 2

dropping of sediments that occurs when an agent of erosion, such as gravity, a glacier, wind, or water, loses its energy and can no longer carry its load

Front 3

mass movement

Back 3

any type of erosion that occurs as gravity moves materials downslope

Front 4

slump

Back 4

a type of mass movement that occurs when a mass of material moves down a curved slope

Front 5

creep

Back 5

a type of mass movement in which sediments move downslope very slowly; common in areas of freezing and thawing, and can cause walls, trees, and fences to lean downhill

Front 6

glacier

Back 6

large, moving masses of ice and snow that change large areas of Earth's surface through erosion and deposition

Front 7

plucking

Back 7

process that adds gravel, sand, and boulders to a glacier's bottom and sides as water freezes and thaws, breaking off pieces of surrounding rock

Front 8

till

Back 8

mixture of different-sized sediments that is dropped from the base of a retreating glacier and can cover huge areas of land

Front 9

moraine

Back 9

large ridge of rocks and soil deposited by a glacier when it stops moving forward

Front 10

outwash

Back 10

material deposited by meltwater from a glacier

Front 11

deflation

Back 11

a type of erosion that occurs when wind blows over loose sediments, removes small particles, and leaves coarser sediments behind

Front 12

abrasion

Back 12

a type of erosion that occurs when windblown sediments strike rocks and sediments, polishing and pitting their surface

Front 13

loess

Back 13

windblown deposit of tightly packed, fin-grained sediments

Front 14

dune

Back 14

mound formed when windblown sediments pile up behind an obstacle