All BOLDED Content *important Flashcards by Lydia Serbanescu

_______ examines the materials composing earth to gain an understanding of the many processes that operate both on and beneath its surface

Physical geology

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The primary focus of this course will be on the processes operating on the ______’s _____

Earth’s surface

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On June 21, 2013, following heavy rain, the Bow River overflowed its banks and ____ downtown Calgary
a) rained
b) collapsed
c) shook
d) flooded

A - flooding

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a tree was uprooted because of the flooding in Calgary in 2013. What cause the tree to be uprooted?

Mass wasting.

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____ ______ means that events are placed in their proper sequence or order without knowing their age in years

Relative Dating

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Explain the law of superposition

Relative dating is done by applying such principles as the law of super position - it states that in layers of sedimentary rocks or lava flows, the youngest layer is on top and the oldest is on the bottom

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Definition: the time scale that divides the vase 4.6-billion year history of Earth into eons, eras, periods, and epochs.

The Geologic Time Scale

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a significant difference between the continents and the ocean basins is their relative _____.

Relative level - the average elevation of the continents above sea level is about 840m, whereas the average depth of the oceans is about 3800m. The continents therefore stand, on average 4640m above the level of the ocean floor

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T/F: the diversity of the ocean floor is as great as the contents.

True!

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How is the real boundary of the continents and ocean basins marked by? (outer edge of the ____)

Continental Shelf

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The boundary between the continents and the deep-ocean basins lies along the ____ _____ , which is a steep drop-off that extends from he outer edge of the continental shelf to the floor of the deep ocean.

Continental Slope

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The most prominent topographic features of the continents are young linear mountain belts located principally in two zones:
NAME THOSE ZONES

1) the circum-Pacific belt (AKA ring of fire)
2) the Alpide belt

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within the stable interiors are areas known as ____ = expansive, flat regions, composed largely of deformed igneous and metamorphic rocks

shields

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The ocean basins contain one of the most prominent topographic features on earth: the _____ _____ system

The Oceanic Ridge System

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name that ocean feature!
These are extremely deep depressions that can exceed 11,000m below sea level!

Deep ocean trenches

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the hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere and geosphere and all of their components can be studied separately, but together are the ____ system!

Earth system!

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T/F: mass wasting, weathering and erosion are called external processes because they occur at or near Earth’s Surface and are powered by energy from he sun or Earth’s gravity.

True!

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There are three external processes that continually break rock apart: W, MW, E

Weathering
Mass Wasting
Erosion

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Definition: the physical breakdown (disintegration) and chemical alteration (decomposition) of rock at or near Earth’s surface. It does not involve the removal of rock material (unlike the process of erosion)

Weathering

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Definition: the transfer of rock and soil downslope by gravity

Mass Wasting

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Definition: the physical removal of material by water, ice or wind

erosion

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Definition: this is accomplished by physical forces breaking rock into smaller and smaller pieces without changing the rock’s mineral composition. sometimes called physical weathering.

Mechanical Weathering

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Definition: this involves a chemical transformation of rock into one or more new compounds

Chemical weathering

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Definition: the weakening and subsequent disintegration of rock by plants, animals and microbes. it can occur via mechanical or chemical means

Biological weathering

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Definition: repeated freezing and thawing

frost wedging

Definition large masses of igneous rock, particularly granite, are exposed by erosion, concentric slabs begin to break loose

sheeting

_____ Activity: when plant roots and seedlings in search of water and nutrients grow into and expand fractures, providing a pathway for water and chemical infiltration.

Biologic Activity

There are three components outlined under "Mechanical Weathering" what are they? F-W S B-A

Frost wedging, sheeting, biologic activity

There are three major processes listed under chemical weathering - what are they? D O H

Dissolution, oxidation, hydrolysis

Definition: the process of dissolving something into a homogeneous solution, as when acidic solution dissolves limestone.

Dissolution

Definition: the process occurs when oxygen combines with substrate containing minerals that are rich in iron or when pyrite decomposes

Oxidation

Definition: a chemical weathering process in which minerals are altered by chemically reacting with water and acids

Hydrolysis

Definition: corners of rock being attacked most readily because of the greater surface area for their volume as compared with the edges and faces.

Spheroidal Weathering

T/F: weathering is a key process int he formation of soil

True

FITB'S: Soil is a combination of _____ and _______ matter, _____ and ___ that supports the growth of plants and develops in place downward front he ground surface

Soil is a combination of mineral and organic matter, water, and air that supports the growth of plants and develops inlace downward from the ground surface

Definition: disintegrated and decomposed rock (_______ matter)

mineral matter

Definition: humus, the dated remains of animal and plant life (_______ matter)

organic matter

Definition: the source of the weathered mineral matter from which soils develop, a major factor influencing a newly forming soil

parent material

When the parent material is bedrock, the soils are termed ______ soils

residual soils

the soils developed on unconsolidated sediment transported from elsewhere is called __________ soils

transported soils

T/F: the longer a soil has been forming, the thicker it becomes and the less it resembles the parent material

True

T/F: 4 controls on soil formation are: ______, parent ______, _____, plants and animals, and topography

Climate, parent material, plants and animals and topography

T/F: the types and abundance of organisms present have a strong influence on the physical and chemical properties of a soil

True

T/F: soil fertility is in part related to the amount of organic matter present

True

Name that soil horizon "Zone"! consists largely of organic material

O Zone

Name that soil horizon "Zone"! largely mineral matter, yet biological activity is high, and up to 30% humus can be present.

A Zone

Name that soil horizon "Zone"! light-coloured layer that contains little organic material. as water percolates downward through this zone, finer particles are carried away, (eluviation). Downward percolation of water also dissolves soluble inorganic soil components and carries them do deeper zones (leaching)

E Zone

Name that soil horizon "Zone"! SUBSOIL.

B horizon zone

Name that soil horizon "Zone"! zone of accumulation - much of the material removed from he E horizon by eluviation is deposited here.

B horizon zone

Name that soil horizon "Zone"! partially altered parent material

C Zone Horizon

three soil types, classified according to prevailing climactic conditions: P P L

Pedalfer Pedocal Laterite

Definition: water flowing across the surface carries away the dislodged soil particles - soil is moved by ____'s of water.

Sheet erosion

once in a stream channel, soil particles that got picked up through sheet erosion can be called what?

sediment

T/F: without the stabilizing effect of plants, the soil is more easily swept away by the wind or carried downslope by sheet erosion

True

T/F: upon burial, loose sediment becomes lithified, ultimately transforming it into rock

True

T/F: geologists estimate that sedimentary rocks account for only about 5% (by volume) of Earth's outer 16kms

True

What percentage of all rock outcrops on the continents are sedimentary?

75%

Definition: a term for all the chemical, physical and biologic changes that take place after sediments are deposited but before metamorphosis

diagenesis

T/F: diagenesis includes lithification

true

Definition: the processes by which unconsolidated sediments are transformed into solid sedimentary rocks

lithification

two processes included in lithification: C and C

compaction and cementation

Name that process! Category is sedimentary rocks. As sediment accumulates, the weight of overlying material compresses the deeper sediments.

Compaction

Name that process! Category is sedimentary rocks. A chemical change that involves the precipitation of minerals among the individual sediment grains - they fill the pore spaces and joins the particles

Cementation

A geographic setting where sediment is accumulating is known as the ________ environment

sedimentary environment

There are three categories of sedimentary environments. Name those categories! (C T and M)

Continental, transition or marine

T/F: marine depositional environments are divided according to depth

true

what are the two marine depositional environments called? S and D

Shallow marine environment (depth of about 200m and extends from he shore to the outer edge of the continental shelf - approximately 80km wide) Deep marine environment (lies seaward in waters deeper than 200m)

T/F: deep marine environments include all the floors of the deep ocean

true

Sediment has three principal sources. Name those sources! D Sedimentary Rocks C Sedimentary Rocks O Sedimentary Rocks

Detrital sedimentary rocks Chemical sedimentary rocks Organic sedimentary rocks

(a principal source of sediment): sediment can originate as solid particles derived from both mechanical and chemical weathering of existing rocks. Deposits of this type are termed detrital, and the sedimentary rocks that they form are called ...

detrital sedimentary rocks

(a principal source of sediment): soluble material produced largely by chemical weathering. When these dissolved substances are precipitated by either inorganic or organic processes, the material is known as chemical sediment and the rocks formed from it are called ...

chemical sedimentary rocks

(a principal source of sediment): Organic matter derived from carbon-rich tissues of once-living things. For example, plant remains that accumulate in a swamp can be buried and altered over time to produce coal

Organic sedimentary rock

What are the two silicate minerals that are the chief constituents of most sedimentary rocks in the detrital sedimentary rock category?

clay and quartz

Definition: the group of sedimentary rocks that includes shale, mudstone, and siltstone, consist of clay- to silt-sized particles and account for more than 50% of all sedimentary rocks

Mudrocks (detrital sedimentary rocks)

_______is the name given to rocks in which sand-size grains dominate.

sandstone (detrital sedimentary rocks)

________ consists largely of rounded pebbles and cobbles.

Conglomerate (detrital sedimentary rocks)

________ is what the conglomerate is called if the large particles are angular rather than rounded

breccia (detrital sedimentary rock)

______ sediments derive from material that is carried in solution to lakes and seas, where some of it precipitates to form ______ sediments. These become rocks such as limestone, rock salt, and potash.

Chemical , chemical!

What is the most abundant chemical sedimentary rock?

limestone

Organic limestones include these two things: C and Ch

corals and chalk!

inorganic limestones (chemical sedimentary rocks) can include these three types of rocks Dr Do Ev

dripstone, dolostone, evaporites

Dolostone is composed of the _____-_____ carbonate mineral dolomite

calcium-magnesium

minerals commonly precipitated in the evaporates fashion include ____ and ______

halite and gypsum

T/F: pure carbon is rare in nature

True - it occurs mainly as diamond and graphite

T/F: coal is made of organic matter

true

T/F: the main criterion for name detrital sedimentary rocks is particle size, but the main criterion for naming chemical sedimentary rocks is their mineral composition

true

layers of sedimentary rock are called... .

strata / beds

separating the strata are _______ planes, flat surfaces along which rocks tend to separate or break

bedding planes

when sediments accumulate at an angle, we call this ____-bedding

cross-bedding

_____ beds: particles within a single sedimentary layer gradually change from coarse at the bottom to fine at the top

graded

there are two categories of fossils. name those fossil types! B and T

Body fossils and trace fossils

T/F: Only a tiny fraction of the organisms that lived during the geologic past have left evidence of their tissues as body fossils. Normally, the remains of an animal or a plant are totally destroyed.

True

Although most of them may appear to be stable and unchanging, the _____ __ _______ ultimately causes material to move downslope.

force of gravity

When hazardous natural processes lead to loss of life and property, they become:

natural disasters

Definition: this is the downslope movement of rock, regolith and soil under the direct influence of gravity

mass wasting

T/F: mass wasting requires a transporting medium like water, wind or glacial ice

false

If mass wasting is to occur, it needs ______ down which rock, soil and regolith can move

slopes

______ is the controlling force of mass wasting, but several factors play an important role

gravity

Among the common factors that trigger mass wasting processes are: (4) W Over- veg earth-

saturation material with water, oversteepening of slopes removal of vegetation and ground vibrations from earthquakes

the kind of mass wasting process MOTION is described as either a ... (3) F, S or Fl

Fall, slide, flow

Definition: when mass wasting involves detached individual particles of any size dropping through the air

fall

Definition: mass wasting process that occur whenever material remains fairly coherent and moves along a well defined surface

slide

Definition: mass wasting process that occurs when material moves downslope as viscous fluid

flow

Definition: (mass wasting examples) move as a unit along curved surfaces. The downward sliding of a mass of rock or unconsolidated material rotating as a unit along a curved surface (rotational slide).

slumps

Definition: (mass wasting examples) _____ slides of bedrock break loose and move downhill;

rock slides

Definition: (mass wasting examples) ____ flows of wet soil and regolith move rapidly downhill

debris flows

Definition: (mass wasting examples): _____flows of saturated clay-rich soil move gradually downhill

Earthflow

Definition: (mass wasting examples) the gradual downhill movement of regolith and soil - very slowly

creep

Definition: (mass wasting examples) the gradual flow of a saturated surface layer, usually over permafrost

solifluction

The continuous circulation of Earth's water supply is called the:

hydrologic cycle

Definition: when the rate of rainfall is greater than the land's ability to absorb it, the additional water flows over the surface into lakes and streams. name that process!

runoff

T/F: running water is the single most important natural erosional agent sculpting Earth's land surface

True

Definition: the portion the water soaks into the ground

infiltration

T/F: Rills --> Gullies --> Streams

Ouais.

Part of a major stream: the source area

head or headwaters

Part of a major stream: where the stream empties into another water body

mouth

Part of a major stream: a stream follows a well-defined path or ...

course

Part of a major stream: a major stream may be fed by several smaller streams or _____

tributaries

Part of a major stream: in low-lying areas, stream channels commonly develop snake-like bends or loops

meanders

Part of a major stream: the sides of a stream area called ____

banks

Part of a major stream: the bottom of a stream channel is called the ___

bed

The ability of a stream to erode and transport material is directly related to its velocity, which depends on: (3) G SSG Dis-

Gradient shape size roughness of the channel discharge

_____ is expressed as the vertical drop of a stream over a fixed distance

gradient

The _____ of a stream is the volume of water flowing past a certain point in a given unit of time

discharge

The particles that make up bed load move by: ____, _____ and ______

rolling, sliding and saltation

Definition: this is the maximum load of solid particles that a stream can transport per unit of time

capacity

Definition: the maximum particle size that a stream can transport, based on its velocity

competence

The process called ____ involves the sequential deposition of sediment when their critical settling velocity is reached, based on their size

sorting

sediment deposited by steams is called _____-

alluvium

A stream that has (theoretically) attained a balance (state of equilibrium) in which the parameters influencing their behaviour are in balance with one another an have reached their maximum efficiency

graded stream

____ level is the lowest elevation to which a stream can erode its bed

base level

the lowest elevation to which any stream can erode is sea level, regarded as ______ base level

ultimate

cutoff, oxbow lake, point bar, cutbank

just reminders

T/F: alluvial fans typically develop where a high-gradient stream leaves a narrow valley in mountainous terrain and comes out suddenly onto a broad, flat plain or valley floor

true

__________ streams look like braided streams but differ in their behaviour. it has deep, interwoven, multiple channels separated by stable islands that are commonly heavily vegetated.

Anastomosed streams

All BOLDED Content *important Flashcards

(135 cards)