Weathering
& Erosion
& Erosion
when materials on or near Earth's surface break down and change
Weathering
A mass of accumulated snow being pulled down the side of a mountain by gravity
avalanche
When particles like sand rub against the surface of rocks or other materials
abrasion
All of the land that ends up draining into the same stream or river
watershed
A dripstone formation made by a minerals dripping onto the floor of a cave.
stalagmite
the removal of weathered material from its original location
Erosion
Loose layer of decaying leaves and other organic matter
humus
Rocks with weird shapes caused by wind abrasion
ventifact
A smaller stream/river that flows into a larger one.
Tributary
Layer of rock underneath the surface that is filled with water
aquifer
when weathered material is dropped off in another location
Deposition
Usually after rain, when a landmass falls down a curved slope, this is made
slump
How a glacier breaks off pieces of rock
plucking
Formed when a meander is cut off from a river
oxbow lake
The upper boundary of the zone of saturation where the water is soaked into the ground
water table
When material is broken down by physical processes; nothing about the material's composition changes
Mechanical Weathering
Destructive mudflows made of melted snow and ash after a volcanic eruption
lahar
A mass of glacial sediment called till that is dropped off by a glacier
moraine
Water that flows on the surface, and isn't soaked up by the ground
runoff
The type of rock typically associated with Karst topography that gets dissolved to form caves
limestone
Weathering caused by the freeze-thaw cycles of water
Frost Wedging
This soil horizon is made mainly of weathered parent material
C Horizon
When the wind picks up surface particles, leaving behind the larger rocks underneath
deflation
A buildup of nutrients in a body of water, usually causing a buildup of moss.
Eutrophication
carbonic acid