Chapters 13-15

Question 1

An interval from about 1500 to the mid-to-late-1800s during which glaciers expanded to their greatest historic extent.

Answer 1

Little Ice Age

Question 2

A mass of ice on land that moves by plastic flow and basal slip.

Answer 2

Glacier

Question 3

A glacier confined to a mountain valley or an interconnected system of mountain valleys.

Answer 3

Valley glacier

Question 4

A glacier that covers a vast area (at least 50,000 km2) and is not confined by topography; also called an ice sheet.

Answer 4

Continental Glacier

Question 5

A dome-shaped mass of glacial ice that covers less than 50,000 km2.

Answer 5

Ice Cap

Question 6

Refers to all aspects of glaciers, including their origin, expansion, and retreat, and their impact on Earth’s surface.

Answer 6

Glaciation

Question 7

Granular snow formed by partial melting and refreezing of snow; transitional material between snow and glacial ice.

Answer 7

Firn

Question 8

Water in the solid state within a glacier; forms as snow partially melts and refreezes and compacts so that it is transformed first to firn and then to glacial ice.

Answer 8

glacial ice

Question 9

The flow that takes place in response to pressure and causes deformation with no fracturing.

Answer 9

plastic flow

Question 10

Movement involving a glacier sliding over its underlying surface.

Answer 10

basal slip

Question 11

The balance between expansion and contraction of a glacier in response to accumulation verses wastage.

Answer 11

glacial budget

Question 12

The part of a glacier where additions exceed losses and the glacier’s surface is perennially covered with snow. Also refers to horizon B in soil where soluble material leached from horizon A accumulates as irregular masses.

Answer 12

zone of accumulation

Question 13

The part of a glacier where losses from melting, sublimation, and calving of icebergs exceed the rate of accumulation.

Answer 13

zone of wastage

Question 14

A time of greatly accelerated flow in a glacier. Commonly results in displacement of the glacier’s terminus by several kilometers.

Answer 14

glacial surge

Question 15

The process whereby rock is worn smooth by the impact of sediment transported by running water, glaciers, waves or wind.

Answer 15

abrasion

Question 16

A smooth, glistening rock surface formed by the movement of sediment-laden ice over bedrock.

Answer 16

glacial polish

Question 17

A straight scratch rarely more than a few millimeters deep on a rock caused by the movement of sediment-laden glacial ice.

Answer 17

glacial striation

Question 18

A valley with steep or vertical walls and a broad, rather flat floor formed by the movement of a glacier through a stream valley,

Answer 18

U-shaped glacial trough

Question 19

An arm of the sea extending into a glacial trough eroded below sea level.

Answer 19

fiord

Question 20

A tributary glacial valley whose floor is at a higher level than that of the main glacial valley.

Answer 20

hanging valley

Question 21

A steep-walled, bowl-shaped depression on a mountainside at the upper end of a glacial valley.

Answer 21

cirque

Question 22

A narrow, serrated ridge between two glacial valleys or adjacent cirques.

Answer 22

arete

Question 23

A steep-walled, pyramid-shaped peak formed by the headward erosion of at least three cirques.

Answer 23

horn

Question 24

A collective term for all sediment deposited directly by glacial ice (till) and by meltwater stream (outwash).

Answer 24

glacial drift

Question 25

All sediment deposited directly by glacial ice

Answer 25

till

Question 26

Glacial deposits that show both stratification and sorting.

Answer 26

stratified drift

Question 27

A rock fragment carried some distance from its source by a glacier and usually deposited on bedrock of a different composition.

Answer 27

glacial erratic

Question 28

A pile or ridge of rubble deposited at the terminus of a glacier.

Answer 28

end moraine

Question 29

The layer of sediment released from melting ice as a glacier's terminus retreats.

Answer 29

ground moraine

Question 30

An end moraine that forms when a glacier's terminus retreats, then stabilizes, and a ridge or mound of till is deposited.

Answer 30

recessional moraine

Question 31

An end moraine consisting of a ridge or mound of rubble marking the farthest extent of a glacier.

Answer 31

terminal moraine

Question 32

Ridge of sediment deposited along the margin of a valley glacier.

Answer 32

lateral moraine

Question 33

A moraine carried on the central surface of a glacier; formed where two lateral moraines merge.

Answer 33

medial moraine

Question 34

An elongate hill of till formed by the movement of a continental glacier or by floods.

Answer 34

drumlin

Question 35

The sediment deposited by meltwater discharging from a continental glacier's terminus.

Answer 35

outwash plain

Question 36

A long, narrow deposit of stratified drift confined within a glacial valley.

Answer 36

valley train

Question 37

Conical hill of stratified drift originally deposited in a depression on a glacier's surface.

Answer 37

kame

Question 38

A long, ridge of stratified drift deposited by running water in a tunnel beneath stagnant ice.

Answer 38

esker

Question 39

An explanation of the cyclic variations in climate and the onset of ice ages as a result of irregularities in Earth's rotation and orbit.

Answer 39

Milankovitch therory

Question 40

The expansion of deserts into formerly productive lands.

Answer 40

desertification

Question 41

The process whereby rock is worn smooth by the impact of sediment transported by running water, glaciers, waves or wind.

Answer 41

abrasion

Question 42

A stone with a surface polished, pitted, grooved, or faceted by wind abrasion.

Answer 42

ventifact

Question 43

The removal of loose surface sediment by wind.

Answer 43

deflation

Question 44

A surface mosaic of close-fitting pebbles, cobbles, and boulders found in many dry regions; it results from wind erosion of sand and smaller particles.

Answer 44

desert pavement

Question 45

A mound or ridge of wind-deposited sand.

Answer 45

dune

Question 46

A cresent-shaped sand dune with its tips pointing downward.

Answer 46

barchan dune

Question 47

A long ridge of sand generally parallel to the direction of the prevailing wind.

Answer 47

longitudinal dune

Question 48

A ridge of sand with its long axis perpendicular to the wind direction.

Answer 48

transverse dune

Question 49

A cresent-shaped dune with its tips pointing upward.

Answer 49

parabolic dune

Question 50

Wind-blown deposits of silt and clay

Answer 50

loess

Question 51

The apparent deflection of a moving object from its anticipated course because of Earth's rotation. Winds and oceanic currents are deflected clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Answer 51

Coriolis effect

Question 52

Any area that receives less than 25 cm of rain per year and that has a high evaporation rate.

Answer 52

desert

Question 53

A dry lake bed found in deserts.

Answer 53

playa

Question 54

A cone-shaped accumulation of mostly sand and gravel deposited where a stream flows from a mountain valley onto an adjacent lowland.

Answer 54

alluvial fan

Question 55

An erosion surface of low relief gently sloping away from the base of a mountain range.

Answer 55

pediment

Question 56

A broad, flat-topped erosional remnant bounded on all sides by steep slopes.

Answer 56

mesa

Question 57

An isolated, steep-sided, pinnacle-like hill formed when resistant cap rock is breached, allowing erosion of less resistant underlying rocks.

Answer 57

butte

Question 58

The area between mean low tide and the highest level on land effected by storm waves.

Answer 58

shoreline

Question 59

A measure of the dissolved solids in seawater, usually expressed in parts per thousand.

Answer 59

salinity

Question 60

The sunlit layer in the oceans where plants photosynthesize.

Answer 60

photic zone

Question 61

The depth in the ocean below which sunlight does not penetrate.

Answer 61

aphotic zone

Question 62

The apparent deflection of a moving object from its anticipated course because of Earth's rotation. Winds and oceanic currents are deflected clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Answer 62

Coriolis effect

Question 63

A system of ocean currents rotating clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Answer 63

gyre

Question 64

The slow circulation of ocean water from the depth to the surface.

Answer 64

upwelling

Question 65

The slow transfer of ocean surface water to depth.

Answer 65

downwelling

Question 66

Brown or red deep-sea sediment composed of clay-sized particles.

Answer 66

pelagic clay

Question 67

Deep-sea sediment composed mostly of shells of marine animals and plants.

Answer 67

ooze

Question 68

A mound-like, wave-resistant structure composed of the skeletons of organisms.

Answer 68

reef

Question 69

The regular fluctuation of the sea's surface in response to the gravitational attraction of the Moon and Sun.

Answer 69

tide

Question 70

An undulation on the surface of a body of water, resulting in the water surface rising and falling.

Answer 70

wave

Question 71

The depth corresponding to about one-half wavelength, below which water is unaffected by surface waves.

Answer 71

wave base

Question 72

The distance the wind blows over a continuous water surface.

Answer 72

fetch

Question 73

A wave that steepens as it enters shallow water until its crest plunges forward.

Answer 73

breaker

Question 74

The bending of waves so that they move nearly parallel to the shoreline.

Answer 74

wave refraction

Question 75

A current resulting from wave refraction found between the breaker zone and a beach that flows parallel to the shoreline.

Answer 75

longshore current

Question 76

A narrow surface current that flows out to sea through the breaker zone.

Answer 76

rip current

Question 77

A beveled-surface that slopes gently seaward; formed by the erosion and retreat of a sea cliff.

Answer 77

wave-cut platform

Question 78

A wave-cut platform now above sea level.

Answer 78

marine terrace

Question 79

Part of a shoreline commonly bounded by cliffs that extends out into the sea or a lake.

Answer 79

headland

Question 80

Any deposit of sediment extending landward from low tide to a change in topography or where permanent vegetation begins.

Answer 80

beach

Question 81

A fingerlike projection of a beach into a body of water such as a bay.

Answer 81

spit

Question 82

A spit that has grown until it closes off a bay from the open sea or lake.

Answer 82

baymouth bar

Question 83

A type of spit that extends out from the shoreline and connects the mainland with an island.

Answer 83

tombolo

Question 84

A long, narrow island of sand parallel to a shoreline but separated from the mainland by a lagoon.

Answer 84

barrier island

Question 85

The balance between additions and losses of sediment in the nearshore zone.

Answer 85

nearshore sediment budget

Question 86

A coast along which sea level rises with respect to the land or the land subsides.

Answer 86

submergent coast

Question 87

A coast where the land has risen with respect to sea level.

Answer 87

emergent coast

Question 88

The surge of water onto a shoreline as a result of a bulge in the ocean's surface beneath the eye of a hurricane and wind driven waves.

Answer 88

storm surge