Unit 2 Study Guide
Weathering and Erosion
1. Know the difference between both weathering and erosion.
 Weathering: the break down of rocks on or near
Earth’s surface.
 Erosion: the removal of the broken down (weathered)
material.
2. What are the differences between chemical weathering and
physical weathering?
 Chemical: change in chemical composition of a
substance.
 Physical: change in size and shape only.
3. Describe what water does to pavement when it continually freezes
and thaws. (Freeze Wedging).
 Continuous cycle of freezing and thawing of water
causing the expansion of cracks in pavements.
4. Tell what type of weathering (physical or chemical) the following
are examples of:
A. Particles grind against rock in a process called abrasion. PW
B. Acid rain hits a limestone statue. CW
C. Rust forms on old wheelbarrow outside. CW
D. Rocks become smooth and round in shape. PW
E. Roots of a tree grow into the bedrock below. PW
F. Rocks in a stream begin dissolving due to carbonic acid
present. CW
G. Changes in temperature cause rock to break apart. PW
5. Be able to determine between the 4 agents of erosion: Glacier,
Wind, Rivers, Gravity
A. Most dominant agent of erosion on earth. Gravity
B. Most common agent in an arid climates. Wind
C. Most common in very cold climates. Glacier
D. Rock surfaces become smooth and striated. Glacier
E. Sculptured rocks with pitted surfaces. Wind
F. Unsorted, angular sediments at the base of a hill. Gravity
G. V- shaped valley. Rivers
H. Landslide caused by. Gravity
Unit 2 Study Guide
Wind and Glaciers
1. Name and describe the 4 types of sand dunes.
•Barchans: solitary, crescent-shaped, form in flat areas with
little sand or vegetation
•Transverse: formed with plenty of sand, little vegetation,
and strong winds
•Parabolic: U-shaped, form between clumps of plants
•Longitudinal: limited sand available, strong winds, parallel
to wind direction
2. Know types of wind transports.
•Suspension: method of transport by which strong winds
cause particles to stay airborne for long distances
•Saltation: causes bouncing motion (sand transport)
3. What are ventifacts and how are they produced?
Ventifacts are rocks shaped by wind-blown sediment.
They are produced by abrasion (particles rubbing up
against the surface of rocks).
4. Be able to differentiate between the two types of glaciers.
•Valley Glaciers: glaciers form in valleys in high,
mountainous areas;
•Continental Glacier: glaciers that cover broad, continentsized areas; thickest at its center and much larger than
valley glaciers
5. Glaciers create what type of valley? U-shaped valley
Unit 2 Study Guide
Surface Water
1. Be able to match terms with definitions
Floodplain
Wetland
Watershed
Eutrophication
Gravity
Meander
A. Wetland: Marshes, Bogs, and swamps are examples of this.
B. Meander: A bend or curve in a stream.
C. Gravity: The driving force of a stream.
D. Eutrophication: When nutrients from the land enrich the
water and promote growth of vegetation.
E. Floodplain: Area of land covered by stream water during
times of flood.
F. Watershed: All of the land whose water drains into the
stream.
2. Draw a meandering river and label it using the following terms: fast
water, slow water, erosion, and deposition.
3. Rivers form what type of valleys and how? V-shaped valley;
actively erodes a path through the sediment or rock via
running water
Unit 2 Study Guide
4. Know evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, surface
and subsurface runoff, accumulation and transpiration
—Evaporation-Movement of water from Earth’s surface to
atmosphere
—Condensation- Movement from water vapor to clouds
—Precipitation- water falls back on Earth
—Infiltration- Water soaking into the Earth
—Runoff- water on earth’s surface that flows downslope into lakes,
streams, rivers, oceans, or puddles
—Transpiration- water vapor from plants; Similar to evaporation
5. Describe the 3 ways in which stream load is carried.
1. solution: material dissolved in water
2. suspension: particles small enough to be held up by the
turbulence of moving water (silt, sand, clay)
3. bed load: sand pebbles and cobbles that are rolled and
pushed along the stream bed by water
6. What is the difference between upstream and downstream flood?
Upstream: flooding of small area by large amounts of rain;
short-term.
Downstream: heavy accumulation of excess water due to
prolonged rain.
7. What does an upstream flood form? Flashflood
8. What is runoff and what affects it? Water that flows
downslope; vegetation, rate of precipitation, soil
composition, and slope
9. What are the positive and negative aspects of eutrophication?
Positive: plant growth excels and organisms flourish.
Negative: algal bloom covers the surface of the water,
preventing photosynthesis, and killing off plants and
organisms.
Unit 2 Study Guide
10. Know how lakes are formed.
Oxbow lakes, Glacial origins, Dissolving of limestone cavern
11. Know how carrying power can be increased. Increases if
stream velocity and volume increase.
12. How is discharge determined? Width x depth x velocity
Soil
1. Describe humus. Decaying organic matter
2. What is leaching? The extraction of nutrients
3. Label the soil horizons, alternative names, and describe.
Unit 2 Study Guide
Mass Movement
Be familiar with the definitions for the following words:
 Creep: Slow downslope movements of materials
 Landslide: Rapid downslope movements of debris and
dirt mixed with rain
 Mudflows: Loose material in layers slipping down a
slope
 Slump: When mass material in landslides rotate and
slide along a curved surface
 Rockfalls: Large masses of fallen rock
Groundwater
1. How does groundwater travel once it has infiltrated the ground?
And what is infiltration? Moves through the ground, returns
to the surface via springs or some other means of runoff,
and then flows back to the ocean; water soaking into the
Earth
2. Differentiate between the zone of aeration and zone of saturation.
Zone of Aeration: Above the water table, materials are
moist, but because they are not saturated with water, air
occupies much of the pores.
Zone of Saturation: Depth below Earth’s surface at which
groundwater completely fills all the pores of a material.
3. What is the upper boundary of the zone of saturation called?
Water Table
Unit 2 Study Guide
4. What does it mean to have high permeability? Large connected
pores allowing for water to pass
5. What is an aquifer and aquiclude? Aquifer: permeable layers
through which groundwater flows. Aquiclude: barriers to
groundwater flow.
6. Differentiate between stalagmites and stalactites.
*Stalactites: hangs from the cave’s ceiling like icicles and
forms gradually as minerals buildup from precipitated
groundwater.
*Stalagmites: found on the cave’s floor as a mound-shape;
they are made over time by water dripping to the floor.
7. Know what porosity and permeability mean.
The amount of pore space in material called porosity.
Permeability is the ability of material to let water pass.
8. What type of topography is found with sinkholes? Karst
Topography
9. What does limestone consist of (mineral type)? Calcite (calcium
ion)
10. What are the differences between an original well and artesian
well?
Well: The simplest wells are those that are dug or drilled
below the water table; as water is drawn out of a well, it is
replaced by surrounding water in the aquifer.
Artesian Well: When an aquifer is confined between two
aquicludes pressurized water can spurt above the land
surface creating a fountain
Unit 2 Study Guide
11. Define drawdown and recharge.
*Drawdown: the difference between the original water level
and the new water level after pumping.
*Recharge: water from precipitation replenishes the water
content of an aquifer.