Erosion Flashcards
erosion
the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents.
weathering
the process of wearing or being worn by long exposure to the atmosphere.
water cycle
the cycle of processes by which water circulates between the earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and land, involving precipitation as rain and snow, drainage in streams and rivers, and return to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration.
evaporation
the process of turning from liquid into vapor.
condensation
water which collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it.
precipitation
the action or process of precipitating a substance from a solution.
surface runoff
the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess rainwater, storm water, melt water, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in the soil.
tributary
a river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake.
watershed
an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas.
continental divide
is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea
deposition
the action of deposing someone, especially a monarch.
delta
the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet
floodplain
an area of low-lying ground adjacent to a river, formed mainly of river sediments and subject to flooding.
water table
is the upper surface of the zone of saturation.
sewage treatment plants
s a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable for discharge
