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Exam 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

hawaiian shield type volcanoes

A

broad, low-angle volcanoes formed from fluid basaltic lava; result in wide landforms like Mauna Loa

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2
Q

effusive eruption/fissure

A

this is an eruption where lava steadily flows from cracks in Earth’s crust. not explosive.

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3
Q

low viscosity/high temperature

A

Basaltic magma is low viscosity and has a higher temp, which leads to these gentle, widespread lava flows

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4
Q

pahoehoe lava

A

smooth and ropey with a higher temperature.

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5
Q

a’a lava

A

angular and blocky lava due to high viscosity and cooling.

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6
Q

yellowstone hotspot and plate movement

A

a stationary magma plume (hotspot) under the moving North American Plate which has created a volcanic chain over time

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7
Q

bowen’s reaction series

A

mafic rocks cool at higher temps. they crystallize out first as the magma cools. felsic rocks are the last to cool and crystallize out.

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8
Q

magmatic fractionation

A

this is a process where early-forming minerals separate from magma, changing it’s composition.

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9
Q

magmatic differentiation

A

this is a broad term including all processes like fractionation that alter the magma composition over time

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10
Q

fingerprinting eruptions

A

identifying volcanic events by analyzing ash and lava chemistry; useful in correlating geologic layers.

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11
Q

Mt. St. Helens eruption

A

1980 eruption in WA; notable for pyroclastic flows, lateral blast, massive ash plume. subduction of juan de fuca under NA plate caused buildup of magma pressure.

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12
Q

lateral blast

A

sideways volcanic explosion caused by structural collapse or gas buildup

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13
Q

lahars

A

volcanic mudflows formed from ash, rock, debris, and water; extremely destructive, can travel far downstream.

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14
Q

pyroclastic flow/nuee ardente

A

a glowing cloud; superheated gas and ash clouds that rush downslope during explosive eruptions.

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15
Q

Plinian column

A

high, vertical eruption column of ash and gas reaching the stratosphere. named after Pliny the Younger’s description of Mt. Vesuvius.

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16
Q

volcanic ash/tephra

A

fragmented materials ejected from volcanoes; ash is fine, and tephra includes all particle sizes

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17
Q

Mr. Vesuvius/Pompeii

A

AD 79 eruption that buried Pompeii underneath ash, preserving it; example of a Plinian-style eruption.

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18
Q

Mt. Pelee, Martinique

A

1902 eruption via pyroclastic flow; example of nuee ardente.

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19
Q

Crater Lake/Mr. Mazama

A

7677 BP massive eruption that led to volcanic collapse, forming a caldera now filled by Crater Lake.

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20
Q

caldera

A

large volcanic depression formed when a volcano’s summit collapses post-eruption.

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21
Q

Mt. Tambora/1815 year without a summer

A

Earth’s largest recorded eruption; ash and aerosols caused global cooling and famine for a year.

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22
Q

plate boundaries volcanism

A

volcanoes form mainly along convergent and divergent plate boundaries due to subduction or seafloor spreading.

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23
Q

Minoan eruption/Santorini

A

Massive Bronze Age eruption of Thira in the Aegean Sea; made Santorini it’s crescent moon shape.

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24
Q

Hellenic Arc volcanoes

A

a chain of volcanic islands in the Aegean Sea caused by subduction of the African Plate.

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25
weathering
breakdown of rocks in place by physical, chemical, or biological means.
26
mechanical weathering
physical processes breaking rock apart without altering chemistry. ex: frost-wedging.
27
frost-wedging/freeze-thaw
water enters cracks, freezes, expands, and breaks rock apart.
28
talus
accumulated rock debris at the base of a cliff, formed by mechanical weathering.
29
angle of repose
steepest slope at which material remains stable without sliding (35 degrees for fine, dry sand)
30
jointing
natural fractures in rocks that facilitate weathering and erosion.
31
unloading jointing
cracks formed when overlying pressure is removed from rock (exfoliation). rock expands up and cracks. dome-shape.
32
exfoliation domes
rounded rocks formed by repeated sheet peeling due to unloading.
33
biological weathering
breakdown of rock by plants, animals, and microbes.
34
plant roots/lichen
roots grow into cracks, lichens release acid; both contribute to weathering.
35
does jointing accelerate chemical weathering
yes. cracks expose more surface area for chemical reactions.
36
salt crystallization
salt solutions enter pores and crystallize, breaking rock apart.
37
Mesa Verde cliff dwellings
ancient settlements carved into sandstone cliffs; weathering helped shape those alcoves.
38
chemical weathering
break down of rock by chemical processes, produces a new mineral substance as a result of chemical change. ex: solution, oxidation, hydration, etc.
39
solution
minerals dissolved in water.
40
oxidation
when minerals react with Oxygen, ex: iron to rust.
41
hydration
water molecules bond to minerals, changing their structure
42
hydrolysis
chemical breakdown of minerals via reaction with water, weathering of granite (produces quartz, sand, silica in solution, clays)
43
carbonation
CO2 in water forms carbonic acid, which dissolves carbonate rocks.
44
hematite (iron oxide)/limonite
iron-rich minerals formed during oxidation, stain rocks red/yellow
45
CO2+H2O=H2CO3
carbon dioxide plus water forms carbonic acid which dissolves carbonate rocks.
46
karst topagraphy
landscapes shaped by dissolution of limestone or dolomite.
47
caves
featre of karst landscape
48
sinkholes
feature of karst landscape
49
cenotes
water-filled sinkholes
50
disappearing streams
streams that flow into a cave and "disappear"
51
dripstones
cave formations like stalactites and stalagmites.
52
tower karst
steep rock towers.
53
products of chemical weathering
clay, dissolved ions, and secondary minerals like calcite.
54
limestone/travertine
common carbonate rocks; travertine forms in hot springs by mineral precipitation.
55
hot springs
groundwater heated by geothermal sources; can form travertine or sinter deposits.
56
evaporites/playas
salt and minerals left when water evaporates in arid basins.
57
jointing and chemical weathering
cracks in rocks can increase chemical weathering rates.
58
spheroidal weathering of granite
rounded shapes form as water weathers rock corners and edges faster.
59
weathering and climate
warm/wet climates favor chemical weathering. cold/dry climates favor mechanical weathering.
60
Bowen's Reaction Series and weathering
minerals crystallizing early (olivine) weather faster at the surface. early crystallization=fast weathering.
61
cliff-forming sandstone and limestone
strong rocks form cliffs
62
slope-forming shale
weak rocks form gentle slopes
63
differential weathering and erosion-mass wasting
varied rock resistance creates distinct landforms.
64
soil creep
slow movement of soil down a slope.
65
falls vs slides vs flows
think of hydration and speed.
66
slope perpendicular
force holding material perpendicular to slope.
67
slope parallel
force pulling stuff down slope.
68
dissolved load
sediments dissolved in water, does not happen in wind transport.
69
suspended load
particles carried in the wind/water.
70
bedload (traction, saltation)
sediment transported along the bottom. saltation=skipping. traction=when something is pulled over a surface.
71
depositional environments
specific location where sediments are deposited.
72
delta
landform created where a river flows into the ocean and deposits sediments. often forms a triangle shape.
73
longshore drift
movement of sediment along a coastline by waves that approach at an angle.
74
bay barriers
coastal features that connect two headlands, which can start to seal off a bay or lagoon from the open ocean.
75
spits
deposition bar of sand formed off coasts or lake shores.
76
tombolo
depositional landform that is a sandbar/spit and connects from an island to mainland.
77
groin/breakwater
groins are perpendicular to shore to slow waves and prevent longshore drift. breakwaters are parallel to shore and reduce wave energy to make calmer water.
78
headlands
coastal landforms where harder rocks jut out and softer rocks erode and form bays.
79
sea arches
natural arch carved out of a headland by erosion of waves.
80
sea stack
vertical column of rock that stands in the sea, formed from collapsed arches.
81
wave cut platform
flat, rocky surfaces formed at the base of cliffs by wave erosion, made by waves pounding into cliffs undercutting it and causing cliff collapse. if sea level lowers, can form historic ones.
82
marine/coastal terrace
elevated, flat coastal land-forms made via wave erosion and sea-level changes.
83
paleoshorelines
ancient shorelines from the geologic past.
84
eoian processes/transport
erosion, transportation, and deposition of sediment by wind
85
sediment rounding/sorting
high rounding and sorting (same size) =more round, more traveled
86
wind erosion/deflation
removal and movement of soil and rock particles by wind. finer = higher. bigger = lower.
87
desert pavement
stony surface made when finer particles are wind-eroded. called wind deflation.
88
eolian deposition
long-range-transported dust, loess forming sediments.
89
barchan dune
one direction of wind. limited sand. flat landscape.
90
transverse dune
perpendicular to wind direction. abundant sand and consistent wind from two directions.
91
longitudinal dune
limited sand supply and consistent wind direction. they look like ripples. parallel to wind direction.
92
star dune
when there are multiple consistent wind directions in a year.
93
windward/leeward slopes
windward=slope in path of wind. leeward=slope with slipface.
94
slipface
side of the dune where sand is slipping down. forms new layers of crossbedding.
95
crossbedding
inclined layers of sediments, often found in fossilized or old dunes.
96
Cascadia subduction zone
runs from Northern CA to British Columbia and causes many earthquakes.
97
terranes
a crustal block that has been sutured to another larger crustal block.
98
earthquake intensity and magnitude
measured usually on Richter scale. intensity is level of earth-shaking.
99
earthquake energy
energy released. generally more energy released=higher magnitude earthquake with more damage.
100
earthquake forecasting and warning
seismographs and sensors, some on buoys in the ocean.
101
Japan earthquake and tsunami
subduction zone earthquake caused break in the sea floor. pacific under Eurasian plate. uplift triggered tsunami.
102
angle of repose
the steepest slope at which a material can be piled without slumping or sliding.
103
forces on a slope
weight of the object, gravity, friction. perpendicular force.
104
resistance on a slope
the opposition to movement, such as force or friction, that an object experiences when moving on a slope.
105
chemical composition of seawater
mostly water and dissolved salts.
106
littoral zone
near-shore zone of water, extending from high-water mark to where sunlight can penetrate the bottom.
107
wave energy
how fast/strong the wave is.
108
wave refraction
waves bend as they approach a shoreline and feel the bottom of shallow water. they concentrate their energy around points that stick out and diffuse their energy in embayments.
109
longshore current/beach drift
coastal current moving parallel to the shoreline. caused by waves approaching the beach at an angle. contributes to the movement of sediment along the coast (longshore drift).
110
erosional coasts
strong waves and currents that weather away the shoreline, ex: Miami Beach.
111
depositional coasts
net deposition of sediment, forming new coastal landforms
112
mass wasting
downhill movement of material due to gravity

Landforms (2 decks)

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