THE EARTH WILL NOT BE HAPPY UNTIL IT IS FLAT ! !
WEATHERING
•
is the changes that rocks undergo at or near the earth's surface, there are 2 general types:
•
- (physical weathering or mechanical weathering) Mechanical processes that break large masses of rock
into smaller fragments.
•
- (chemical weathering) The process that forms new substances from minerals in the rock. Air, water and
substances dissolved in water react with minerals in rocks.
• Rate of Weathering- depends on 3 things: the
of the rock, the
of the rock and
the __________________________________.
• How do you calculate surface area?
• What is the surface area of a cube that is 4 cm on each side?
• How does surface area effect decomposition ?
• sugar cube lab
• How does carbonic acid form ?
• What type of rock do caves form in?
SOILS
•
are the link between solid rock and the world of living things.
•A
is a vertical section of all horizons that make up a soil.
• The Horizon A is called the Zone of
(top soil). Organic matter from more or less decayed plants and
animals forms
and is the primary source of
.
is the process by which
some soil components are dissolved and are carried downward by water.
• The Horizon B is called Zone of
(sub soil). It is made up of minerals which are carried through the
top soil by ground water. Small particles of clay may accumulate and create a
which water can not penetrate.
• The Horizon C is made up of leached materials from Horizon B and partly weathered bedrock.
• The
(parent rock) supplies the rocks and minerals for
soil, which form in place by the
gradual weathering of the bed rock. However, if the soil has been removed from one area and deposited in another
the
soil has no relation to the bedrock. In this case horizons are usually poorly defined or absent.
• A poorly developed soil is called an
soil. In this case not all of the horizons exist or are completely
developed.
• List the 5 factors that control the development of soils
EROSION
• The processes by which weathered products are transported (carried away and deposited) and scour the land surface. There
are 3 agents of erosion:
,
,
(
)
MASS MOVEMENTS
• Weathered fragments that move from higher elevations to lower elevations, they are classified by size of materials moved and
speed of movement. The material that accumulates at the foot of a steep slope or cliff is called
.
• Gravity pulls this loose material down a slope in 5 ways:
•
- large masses of fallen rock, occur as freely falling or bounding rock segments move down a steep
slope
•
- rapid movements of large amounts of material (millions of metric tons), these masses may move
down slope as a unit or break into smaller units, often follow long periods of rain or may be started by earthquakes
•
- rapid movements, occur after heavy rains, usually in semiarid regions
•
- so slow that it is almost imperceptible, usually in humid regions, wavelike bulges of vegetation can
appear at bottom of slope, examples being tilt of trees, telephone poles or fences, common in areas of freeze/thaw
•
- loose material or rock layers slip down as a unit, material does not travel very far or fast, leaves
a curved scar
Be able to identify each type of mass movement from images.
RIVERS
• Nearly
% of precipitation flows across the surface and back into the ocean as
.
• Gravity causes water to flow toward sea level from higher elevations. The source of the river (its highest point) is called the
. The area where it enters a lake, sea or ocean is called the
.
• Runoff follows the shortest (easiest) path downward.
•
- (watershed) The region which drains all the rain water that falls on it. Its boundary is
defined by the ridge beyond which water flows in the opposite direction. The high point that defines the boundary of the
watershed is called the
.
•
- a stream which contributes its water to a main river
•
- solid material carried by a river
•
- material dissolved in water
•
- material carried in water; mud, silt, sand
•
- larger, heavier material carried along the bed of a river
• When a river overflow its banks, due to an increased volume it is
. When it floods, the river's velocity
decreases and the coarsest sediment is deposited. This mound of coarse sediment adjacent to the channel is called a
. Fine sediments are carried farther and spread out away from the river channel forming the
. This area is characterized by being flat, swampy and fertile.
• At the mouth of a river the velocity decrease causing the deposition of sediments. This blocks the stream flow causing the
river to split into a number of channels. The new channels spread sediment out in the form of a fan, which is called a
. Most deltas extend out into open water for many kilometers. (New Orleans)
• How do meanders form ?
• Where is the water fastest and slowest in a straight and curved channel ? Where does erosion and deposition take place in a
straight and curved channel ? Where is the deepest and slowest parts of a straight and curved channel ?
• Be able to draw the divide and label the mouth and headwater of watersheds (drainage basins).
• How does the velocity of a stream effect the load ?
• Be able to describe the 3 stages (young, mature, & old) of a river. How do the channels, profiles, cross sections, &
number/size of the tributaries vary.