Weathering & Erosion
What is the main cause of weathering?
It can be caused by wind, water, or chemical reactions.
What is a flooplain?
A wide, flat area that is built by heavy rainfall and overflowing rivers depositing sediment.
What is a sea wall?
A structure built parallel to the shore to absorb the pounding of waves and protect the coastline.
What is erosion?
The process of soil and rock being removed from one location and transported to another.
How is a moraine formed?
It is created when glaciers melt and deposit sediment, leaving the ridges of sediment and rock.
What is the purpose of a dam?
To control flooding and can also produce energy.
How are sand dunes formed?
They are created by wind piling up mounds of sand, typically found near beaches and deserts.
How does a plateau form?
It is created by winds that smash and wear away rock.
What landform is created by the slowing of moving water where a river flows into an ocean or lake?
A delta
What is a levee?
A raised bank of earth built along the edges of a river to prevent floods.
What is the process that creates sea stacks?
They are formed by wind and water eroding the sediment away.
How does a beach get its shape?
By ocean currents and waves washing sediment ashore.
What natural feature is formed by wind and ocean waves smashing rocks?
A cliff
Describe what beach nourishment involves.
Pumping sand from nearby rivers or oceans to build up beach fronts, which needs to be done every few years due to erosion.
How do glaciers contribute to the erosion of land?
They erode sediments as they move, creating valleys and other landforms.
What is the relationship between weathering and erosion?
Weathering breaks down materials and erosion transports those materials away.
Describe how a cave or sinkhole is created.
It is formed by a chemical reaction between minerals in the rock and water, creating acid that dissolves the rock away.
What is contour plowing?
A farming practice where farmers plow across the sides of hills instead of down the slopes to prevent erosion.
What happens to mountains when tectonic plates collide?
They get uplifted, creating mountain ranges.