 | Term | Definition |
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Fall |
Type of movement common to mass wasting processes that refers to the free falling of detached individual pieces of any size |
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Flow |
Type of movement common to mass wasting processes in which water-saturated material moves downslope in a viscious fluid. |
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Slip |
"The steep, leeward surface of a sand dune that maintains a slope of about 34 degrees." |
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Slides |
Movement common to mass wasting processes in which the material moving downslope remains fairly coherent and moves along a well-defined surface |
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Slumps |
Downward slipping of a mass of rock or unconsolidated material moving as a unit along a curved surface |
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Creep |
The slow downhill movement of soil and regolith |
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Earth Flow |
"Downslope movement of water-saturated, clay-rich sediment. Most characteristic of humid regions." |
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Solifluction |
Slow downslope flow of water-saturated materials common to permafrost areas |
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Rock fall |
Rapid mass-wasting of rock downslope along planes of weakness. Fastest at 33 ft/second squared |
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Hydrologic cycle |
"Summarizes motion of water. Water, evaporation, condensation, precipitation, advection, precipitation, runoff, water" |
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Drainage basin |
The land area that contributes water to a stream |
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Runoff |
Happens when ground is totally saturated. Gravity causes water to move down slope. Is the most prolific erosional agent in the world |
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95% of drinking water comes from |
Surface reservoirs |
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Transpiration |
"Plants take in carbon dioxide and water through their roots, release oxygen and water vapor." |
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Clear Cutting |
Madagascar is a much drier climate today because they cut down their forests. Israel planted lots of trees and now have a slightly more moist climate. |
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Rain caused by |
Available moisture and instability bring temperature to dew point |
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Drainage patterns |
"Carved by runoff water. Dendritic, radial, rectangular, trellis" |
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Dendritic |
Look like branches of a tree. Example: Trinity River branches meet together like this east of Denton |
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Radial |
"Like water flowing over a volcano, water drains in all directions from a central point" |
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Rectangular |
"Only in areas of faulted terrain, where earth cracks" |
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Trellis |
"Typical of areas with folding, where earth bends into valleys and hills. Example: Appalachian Mountains" |
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Soil erosion |
"The smallest scale of erosion. In North Texas, soil loss tolerance is 5 tons/acre/year. That means as long as land doesn't lose 5 tons/acre/year, soil can replenish itself naturally" |
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Splash |
Impact of individual raindrops |
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Sheet |
Thin layer of water moving over landscape |
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Rill |
"Tiny little dendritic tributaries, volume and momentum increase" |
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Gullies |
"V shaped, deeper structure" |
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Soil conservation service |
"Act of congress after dust bowl, teach people how to conserve soil, reduce erosion rate by slowing runoff water." |
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Badlands |
"Worst case scenario of runoff erosion. No top soil left, deep gullies, no vegetation." |
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Colluvium |
"loose bodies of sediment that have been deposited or built up at the bottom of a low grade slope or against a barrier on that slope, transported by gravity" |
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Alluvium |
Unconsolidated sediment deposited by a stream |
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Contour plowing |
Cut right angle into soil to slow runoff water |
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Cover Crop |
Plant a crop like hay just to keep the soil stabilized |
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Terracing |
Step like features that slow runoff water |
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Stream channel erosion |
"Hydrolic force, abrasion, bank caving, corrosion" |
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Abrasion |
"Sandpaper affect, causes smoothness of river rocks" |
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Bank Caving |
"Cut bank is where the deepst, fasted flowing water is in a river, eventually starts cutting into bank like a cave" |
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Corrosion |
"Bedrock is constantly interacting with water. Water forms a whirlpool and moves little pebbles around inside the hole, gradually forms a pothole." |
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Stream Transportation |
"3 different loads: suspended, bed, and dissolved loads " |
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Suspended Load |
Discolored water with silt and clay |
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Bed Load |
Heavier stuff in the water. Stream abrasion makes rocks smoother. |
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Dissolved Load |
"Stuff in solution, hard water. All water in North Texas is hard, has stuff in it like calcite. Red River has significant dissolved load of Salt, which is bad." |
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2 reasons we can't tap into Lake Texoma |
Doesn't belong to Texas. Dissolve load of Red River means we would have to process the water to remove minerals. |
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Turbulent or laminar flow |
"Laminar - movement of water particles in straight-line paths that are parallel to the channel. Move downstream without mixing. Turbulent - moves in an erratic fashion often characterized by swirling, whirlpool-like eddies. Most streamflow is turbulent." |
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Stream velocity |
"Measured by rise over run. Rise is vertical drop, run is fixed horizontal distance. Steeper gradient = faster flow" |
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Gradient |
"All rivers flow to sea level, or ""base level"". Loses gradient at that point. Death Valley - 100 ft below sea level, so river erodes below sea level when it rains, but usually they don't." |
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channel |
"Mississippi has broad shallow flat channel. Cross sectional area - 10 sq unit, perimeter 12. . Deep Narrow Channel - 10 CS area sq units, 12 perimeter. Semi-circular channel - most efficient water movement, maximize volume while minimizing friction. 7.9 perimeter for 10 CS area. More perimeter contact = slower current." |
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discharge |
"The quantity of water in a stream that passes a given point in a given period of time. Two big reservoirs in Denton County - lewisville and RR. Fed by stream channels, all have transport load full of sediment. Water slows to settling velocity when it hits lake, sediments settle and the reservoirs ""silt in""." |
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Stream cycle |
"Dr. WM Davis. Harvard geomorphologist. Founding Father of Association of American Geographers. Stages of rivers related to changes in gradient of a river, not a passage of time. Youth, Maturity, Old Age, Rejuvenation" |
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youth |
"Dominate feature - narrow v-shaped channel. White water conditions. Steep grading. Ex: Yellowstone River in WY. Fed by melting snow. Turbulent flow pattern. Rock breaks off gorge and lands in river. No flood plain, very prone to flash flooding. Also, Arkansas River at Royal Gorge" |
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maturity |
"Appearance of flood plane. Channel profile is more of a u-shaped channel, more efficient draining and less flooding. Ex: Red River. ""Point Bar"" on inside of curve, slower water, sediment builds. Meadering becomes more extensive, leading to old age." |
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old age |
"Broad flood plains, very meandering. Mississippi river is example. Has 10 mile across flood plain, channel is 1 mile across. Really creeps along. Becomes braided channel and dies. " |
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rejuvenation |
"Colorado River. Plate Tectonics pushed up land mass and reestablished gradient. Flat surfaces around river are remnants of anchient flood plains. Look like stair steps. Deeply cut meanders. Dead Horse Point. Drop in sea level. Rio Grande, forms Texas/Mexico border. Starts central colorado with melting snow, fast flowing cold clear river. Big Bend its rejuvenated, only place in Texas with class 5 rapids" |
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Ground Water |
All originates at the surface |
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Zone of Saturation |
Zone where all open spaces in sediment and rock are completely filled with water - below water table. |
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Zone of aeration |
"Area above the water table where openings in soil, sediment, and rock are not saturated but are filled mainly with air. Above water table" |
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Water table |
The upper level of the saturated zone of groundwater. Level of water table fluctuates based on surface conditions (amount of rain and surface topography) |
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Influent Streams |
"Lose water to aquifers - pecos river. Big Bend stream starts clean then suddenly becomes dirty, influent." |
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Effluent streams |
Fed by aquifers. Honey Creek feeds turner falls. |
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Aquifer |
Rock or sediment through which groundwater moves easily. Confined - Woodbine Formation. Unconfined - groundwater near surface. Aquitard = impermeable layers that hinder or prevent water movement along an aquifer. |
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Aquiclude |
"solid, impermeable area beneath an aquifer. Opposite of aquifer. Made with Shale, clay, whereas aquifers are made with sandstone and limestone." |
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Perched water tables |
water gathers above aquiclude. Seasonal. |
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Wells |
Digging wells in east texas - discovery of natural gas |
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Artesian Wells |
"Hill country. Steeply inclined, more pressure. Flows by itself because of gravity. Huge artesian zone west of San Antonio, smaller one west of Ft. Worth. Non-flowing must be pumped, not enough pressure to get to surface. Flowing makes it to the surface. Same ground water as what comes from aquifer, nothing fancy, just has enough pressure to flow." |
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Subsidence |
Baytown. Sediments loosely compacted. Float on surface. Baytown floods because its getting below sea level due to oveuse of groundwater. |
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Salt intrusion |
"Coastal areas. During drought, aquifer flow changes directions, saltwater flows upstream. Also from local geology, such as in west texas where the well water has lots of saltwater contamination. El Paso has the largest desalinization plant in the world, reverse osmosis. Imbedded salt formations in the area" |
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Karst topography |
"Erosional activity due to groundwater. Water corrodes limestone bedrock, forms caves. Hill Country" |
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Limestone corrosion |
Water corrodes limestone |
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Sink holes |
"Caused by caves in Karst topography. Roof of cave collapses, eats your house" |
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Lost rivers |
Sinking Streams. Surface stream reaches sinkhole and stops flowing. |
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Grottos |
Local caving clubs |
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Speleology |
Studying caves |
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Spelunkers |
People who study caves |
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Speleothems |
Collective term for the dripstone features found in caverns |
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Stalactites |
Precipitate from the top |
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Stalagmites |
Precipitate from the bottom |
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Columns |
When stalactite and stalagmite meets |
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Geothermal Energy |
"Natural steam used for power generation. Geisers, fenton lake. Built electrical generating system over hot rock, steam generates electricity. " |
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Geopressurized Brines |
"On gulf coast. Lots of pressure, can cause destruction when sand and gravel explodes. If we can drill and control the pressure to power turbines, could be used as non renewable but clean energy. Problem: natural gas is sometimes in the saltwater." |
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Water Resources |
20% of global population without clean water. |
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Cone of depression |
A cone-shaped depression immediately surrounding a well |
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Radiant heating |
"Circulate hot water under houses, heats homes. Navarro Junior college uses water to heat greenhouses and fish tanks. Both uses of geothermal energy" |
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