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Weathering, Erosion, Deposition

Terms in this set (30)

Weathering
The process by which natural forces break down rocks.
Mechanical Weathering
The breakdown of rock into smaller pieces of the same material without any change in its composition.
Chemical Weathering
The breakdown or decomposition of rock that takes place when minerals change through chemical processes.
Exfoliation
The process in which layers or sheets of rock gradually break off.
Abrasion
The process of wearing something down by friction.
Erosion
The process in which sediment is picked up and moved from one place to another.
Deposition
The process in which transported sediment is laid down.
Mass Wasting
Downhill movement of loose rock or soil.
Drainage Basin
Area of land in which water drains into a stream system.
Divide
Continuous high line of land- or ridge- from which water drains to one side or the other.
Floodplain
flat area of land on either side of a stream that becomes flooded when a river overflows its banks.
Sinkhole
open basin that forms when the roof of a cavern becomes so thin that it falls in.
Barrier Island
a long, narrow island that develops parallel to a coast as a sandbar builds up above the water's surface
Dune
a mound of sand built up by wind
Glacier
a large mass of ice that exists year-round and moves over land
Kettle lake
a bowl-shaped lake that was formed as a sediment built up around a block of ice left behind by a glacier
Slump
a slide of loose debris that moves as a single unit on a hillside
Creep
the slowest form of mass movement, occurs when soil closer to the surface moves faster than the soil farther down, which causes fences and poles to lean.
Sandbar
a ridge of sand built up by the action of waves and currents
Mudflow
a mountain slope collapses sending a mixture of rock, soil, and plants downhill
Humus
The decayed organic matter in soil.
Soil Horizon
A soil layer with physical and chemical properties that differ from those of soil layers above or below it.
Desertification
The expansion of desert conditions in areas where the natural plant cover has been destroyed.
Fossil
A trace or remains of a once-living thing from long ago.
Original Remains
A fossil that is the actual body or body parts of an organism.
Mold
A visible shape that was left after an animal or plant was buried in sediment and decayed.
Cast
A solid model in the shape of the organism.
Petrified Wood
A tree that has been fossilized as stone.
Carbon Films
The detailed visible layer, made by carbon, left behind when plants or animals decay.
Trace Fossils
Evidence of an animal's presence in a given location. Examples: preserved footprints, trails, animal holes, and feces.
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