Landform Vocabulary
What is a fan-shaped deposit of earth materials at the mouth of a stream or river?
A Delta
In what year did Major Powell begin his expedition?
1869
What created one of our rocks to "fizz"?
The calcite that was in the rock.
What is the carrying away of weathered earth materials by water, wind or ice?
Erosion.
Where can the oldest rocks of the Grand Canyon be found?
The lowest layer.
What is a large mass of ice moving slowly over land?
A Glacier.
How did Powell record his observations and data?
He kept a daily journal that included drawings of rocks and landforms.
Calcite is created from what elements?
Calcium, Carbon, and Oxygen
What is the process by which larger rocks crack and break over time to form smaller rocks.
Weathering.
What river has "created" the Grand Canyon?
The Colorado River
What is a hill with steep sides and a small flat top and smaller than a mesa?
A Butte.
How many men did NOT finish the trip?
4
What rock could a fossil be found in?
Shale
What is chemical weathering?
When there are changes to the minerals on the inside or on the surface of the rock.
The Grand Canyon was created by uplift, the rising of land, and______________.
Erosion, the Colorado River flowing through the plateau.
What is a nearly level uplifted area composed of horizontal layers of rock?
What was one type of food that the men had brought on their journey?
Bacon, beans, flour, sugar, coffee
What were the names of 3 rocks found at and around the Colorado River?
Limestone, Sandstone, and Shale
What is sediment?
Earth material (bits of rock, sand, organic matter) that is deposited by water, wind, and/or ice.
What causes the Colorado River to run red through the Grand Canyon?
Flash floods carrying sediment from side canyons.
What is a formation where weak rocks erode away, leaving oddly shaped resistant rocks?
A Hoodoo.
How did Powell determine the strength of the rapids?
Softer rocks meant a quiet river; harder rocks meant bigger rapids.
What is a major difference between limestone and sandstone?
Limestone is primarily made of calcium carbonate and sandstone is made up of cemented sand particles.
What is the settling of sediments?
Deposition
What was the reason that the Glen Canyon dam was designed in the Grand Canyon?
It was created to provide water and power needs to people living in the area.