Study Guide for test on groundwater, weathering, erosion, and deposition
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Weathering is the breaking down of rocks into smaller particles by physical or chemical
processes
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Soil is the loose materials on Erath’ surface that is made of weathered rock, humus, air and
water
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Creep is the very slow movement of material down a slope
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A stalagmite is a cone shaped deposit of minerals on the floor of a cave
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As a rivers slope increases the waters power to erode increases
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Water cannot move through an impermeable rock layer
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Abrasion is weathering in which rock is worn away by the grinding action of other rock
particles
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The freezing and thawing of water causes mechanical weathering of rock by means of Ice
wedging
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Chemical weathering causes the mineral composition of rocks to change
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A hot and wet climate causes weathering to take place rapidly
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The most important factors in determining the rate of weathering are rock type and climate.
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Soil is the mixture of rock particles, minerals, decayed organic material, air, and water
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Topsoil is found in the A horizon
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Erosion by water or wind can cause the loss of soil that is not protected by plant cover
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Erosion is the process by which natural forces move weathered rock and soil from one place to
another
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Deposition is the process in which sediment is laid down in a new location
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Landslides, mudflows, slump, and creep are all examples of mass movement
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A river flowing across a wide flood plain begins to form looplike bends called meanders
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A wide sloping deposit of sediment formed where a stream leaves a mountain range is called an
alluvial fan
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Deltas are built up by deposition
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Kinetic energy is involved when a river moves sediment and erodes its banks
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Runoff causes most sediment to wash or fall into a river
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A fast-flowing river would most likely move sand-sized particles of sediment by carrying them
suspended in the water
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Gravel would be deposited first when a fast-flowing river slows down
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As more water flows through a river, its speed will increase
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Abrasion is a type of erosion when geologist finds deep gouges and scratches on bedrock in an
area once covered by a glacier
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Deflation is the process by which wind removes surface materials

Water that falls to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail is called precipitation

The land area that supplies water to a river system is called a watershed
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An increased volume of water entering the river channel will cause a river to flood
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Materials that allow water to easily pass through them are permeable
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In the saturated zone is where you find groundwater
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People can obtain groundwater by drilling a well into the saturated zone
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A well in which groundwater rises because of pressure is called an artesian well