Es Tri 2 Exam Vocab. Words Chapter 11

Front 1

Erosion

Back 1

The process when soil and sediments are transported from one place to another.

Front 2

Water Cycle

Back 2

The process that water moves from the atmosphere to the Earth.

Front 3

Tributary

Back 3

A stream that flows into a river.

Front 4

Watershed

Back 4

The area of land that is drained by a river system.

Front 5

Divide

Back 5

the area of higher ground between watersheds

Front 6

Channel

Back 6

The path that a stream follows.

Front 7

Load

Back 7

The material that a stream carries.

Front 8

Gradient

Back 8

The measure of the change in elevation over a certain distance.

Front 9

Discharge

Back 9

The amount of water that a stream or river carries in a given amount of time.

Front 10

Youthful River

Back 10

Youthful rivers erode their channels deeper rather than wider. The river flows quickly because of its steep gradient. Its channel is narrow and straight. The river tumbles over rocks in rapids and waterfalls. Youthful rivers have very few tributaries.

Front 11

Old River

Back 11

An old river has a low gradient and little erosive energy. Instead of widening and deepening its banks, the river deposits rock and soil in and along its channel. Old rivers are characterized by wide, flat flood plains, or valleys, and many bends. Also, an old river has fewer tributaries than a mature river because the smaller tributaries have joined together.

Front 12

Rejuvenated River

Back 12

Rejuvenated rivers are found where the land is raised by tectonic activity. When land rises, the river's gradient becomes steeper, and the river flows more quickly. The increased gradient of a rejuvenated river allows the river to cut more deeply into the valley floor. Steplike formations called terraces often form on both sides of a stream valley as a result of rejuvenation.

Front 13

Mature River

Back 13

A mature river erodes its channel wider rather than deeper. The gradient of a mature river is not as steep as that of a youthful river. Also, a mature river has fewer falls and rapids. A mature river is fed by many tributaries. Because of its good drainage, a mature river has more discharge than a youthful river.

Front 14

Deposition

Back 14

The process in which material is laid down.

Front 15

Delta

Back 15

A fan-shaped mass of material deposited at the mouth of a stream.

Front 16

Alluvial Fan

Back 16

A fan-shaped mass of material deposited by a stream when the slope of the land decreases sharply.

Front 17

Floodplain

Back 17

An area along a river that forms from sediments deposited when the river overflows its banks.

Front 18

Placer Deposit

Back 18

Heavy minerals are sometimes deposited at places in a river where the current slows down. This kind of sediment is called a placer deposit.

Front 19

Water Table

Back 19

The upper surface of underground water; the upper boundary of the zone of saturation.

Front 20

Aquifer

Back 20

A body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater.

Front 21

Porosity

Back 21

The percentage of the total volume of a rock or sediment that consists of open spaces.

Front 22

Permeability

Back 22

The ability of a rock or sediment to let fluids pass through its open spaces, or pores.

Front 23

Recharge Zone

Back 23

An area in which water travels downward to become part of an aquifer.

Front 24

Artesian Spring

Back 24

A spring whose water flows from a crack in the cap rock over the aquifer.

Front 25

Cave

Back 25

A hollow or natural passage under or into the earth, especially one with an opening to the surface.

Front 26

Stalagmite

Back 26

Water that falls to a cave's floor adds to cone-shaped features known as stalagmites.

Front 27

Stalactite

Back 27

Sharp, icicle-shaped features that form on cave ceilings are known as stalactites.

Front 28

Point-Source Pollution

Back 28

Pollution that comes from a specific site.

Front 29

Nonpoint-Source Pollution

Back 29

Pollution that comes from many sources rather than from a single, specific site.

Front 30

Sewage Treatment Plant

Back 30

A facility that cleans the waste materials found in water that comes from sewers or drains.

Front 31

Septic Tank

Back 31

A tank that separates solid waste from liquids and that has bacteria that break down the solid waste.

Front 32

DO

Back 32

The oxygen dissolved in water is called dissolved oxygen, or DO.

Front 33

Nitrogen

Back 33

A colorless, odorless, gaseous element that makes up about 78% of the Earth's atmosphere.