The process of breaking down rocks into sediments.
What is erosion?
The transportation of sediments.
What is deposition?
The placement of sediments after they are eroded.
What is the #1 factor determining the velocity of a stream?
Slope of the land/gradient
What is the shape of a valley eroded by a glacier?
U-shaped
What is the most common type of physical weathering in New York State?
Freeze-thaw
What agent of erosion formed the landform depicted below?
Wind
Assuming up is North, what direction are the waves coming from?
Northwest
Sand
What are the scratches on the rocks below called and what were they caused by?
Glacial striations, caused by glaciers
What is the texture and appearance of a rock that has been weathered by a stream or ocean for many years?
Smooth and rounded
What is an oxbow lake and how does it form?
A "horseshoe" shaped lack that forms when a meander overflows its stream bed into a neighboring channel, cutting off the lake from the rest of the stream.
Assuming North is up, what direction does this drumlin indicate the glacier was moving?
Northwest
What is a watershed?
an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas.
What agent of erosion is responsible for creating the topography of New York State?
Glaciers/Ice
Give two examples of physical weathering.
Freeze-thaw, plant roots, abrasion, exfoliation, etc.
In which stream is erosion happening the fastest? Explain your reasoning.
Stream A. This is a young stream with a straight channel and steep gradient.
Will more deposition occur on the inside or outside curve of a river?
Inside
Sorted and layered
How are sediments deposited by glaciers arranged?
Unsorted and unlayered
Give three examples of chemical weathering.
Oxidation, carbonation, hydration, lichens
What is a floodplain?
What is the last sediment size deposited by a stream?
Clay
What is one difference between a "mature" stream and stream in "old age?"
Oxbow lakes, shallow "U" profile
While a glacier is moving, a large chunk of ice breaks off and gets stuck in the ground. Many years later, this chunk of ice is buried and later melts. What glacial feature forms?
A kettle lake.