Geomorphology Flashcards

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0
Q

Landslides

A

A large mass of land breaks loose and plunges down a slope

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1
Q

Rockfalls

A

Tock fragments fall to the bottom of the slope

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2
Q

Mudflow

A

Streams of mud flow down a steeper slope in definite channels

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3
Q

Soil creep

A

A very slow continuous movement of soil down a slope

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4
Q

Solifluction

A

Top soil becomes saturated and slides on the frozen ground beneath it

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5
Q

Earthflow

A

Occurs when clay soul particles, saturated with water, move down a slope with a fairly gentle gradient

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6
Q

Mass movements

A

Downward movement if weathered materials such as soil, stones and rocks on a slope as a result of the force of gravity

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7
Q

Peneplain

A

A nearly flat plain formed by erosion of slopes in a humid environment

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8
Q

Down wasting

A

Erosion of the land mass in such a way that landforms become lower over time

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9
Q

Pediplain

A

A nearly flat plan formed as canyon floors become wider, usually in an arid environment

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10
Q

Back wasting

A

Erosion of the land mass in such a way that landforms become narrower

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11
Q

Parallel retreat

A

Erosion of a scarp slope causes loss of ground over the whole face of the slope, but no loss of height

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12
Q

Sheetflow

A

Rainwater flows over a slope in a sheet

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13
Q

Crest

A

Small convex slope element at the top if the slope

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14
Q

Freeface

A

Slope element greater than 80* to the horizontal

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15
Q

Talus

A

Slope at the base of a hill consisting of weathered material

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16
Q

Scree

A

Weathered material at the base of the slope

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17
Q

Pediment

A

Slope element with a low angle, concave shape

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18
Q

Knickpoint

A

Sharp change in gradient

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19
Q

Endogenic forces

A

Forces operating deep underground, folding

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20
Q

Exogenic forces

A

Forces operating above the Earth’s surface, erosion and deposition

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21
Q

Primary slopes

A

Slopes formed by crustal forces, faulting

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22
Q

Primary erosion slopes

A

Slopes which have formed from erosion, a gorge eroded by a river

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23
Q

Secondary erosion slopes

A

Primary slopes or primary erosion slopes that have been eroded

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24
Q

Tor

A

Exposed granite blocks made up of core stones

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25
Q

Core stones

A

Granite boulders left after surrounding rock has weathered

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26
Q

Granite dome

A

Landform resulting from erosion of overlying strata to expose a batholith

27
Q

Exfoliation

A

The peeling off of rock layers due to expansion and contraction

28
Q

Contractual joins

A

Joints formed when magma cooled

29
Q

Off-loading joints

A

Joints formed when the weight of overlying material is removed

30
Q

Batholiths

A

Large dome-shaped intrusions of magma which occur at great depths beneath the Earth’s surface

31
Q

Laccoliths

A

Smaller mushroom-shaped intrusions of magma

32
Q

Lopoliths

A

Pan or saucer-shaped intrusions

33
Q

Dykes

A

Vertical sheets of dolerite that form magma

34
Q

Sills

A

Horizontal layers of dolerite that form magma

35
Q

Poort

A

Gap between two mountains which has been created by river erosion

36
Q

Cuesta dome

A

Circular or oval-shaped landform from the erosion of an anticline

37
Q

Cuesta basin

A

Circular or oval- shaped landform resulting from the erosion of a syncline

38
Q

Cuesta

A

A ridge with a gentle slope and a scarp slope

39
Q

Hogsback

A

A ridge with a steep slope and a scarp slope

40
Q

Homoclinal ridge

A

Ridge formed from inclined strata

41
Q

Homoclinal landscape

A

A landscape formed of inclined strata that are tilted by the same degree of dip in the same direction

42
Q

Scarp slope

A

Steep slope of a homoclinal ridge or escarpment

43
Q

Dip slope

A

Less steep slope of a homoclinal ridge

44
Q

Mass wasting

A

Movement of eroded material downhill due to gravity

45
Q

Undercutting

A

Erosion of a rock at the base of a slope with the subsequent collapse of the overhang

46
Q

Homoclinal shifting

A

Movement of the position of a homoclinal ridge towards the dip slope

47
Q

Chemical weathering

A

Decomposition of rock due to chemical precessess, often involving water, CO2 and O2

48
Q

Mechanical weathering

A

The physical break-up of rocks, often due to extremes in temperature

49
Q

Scarp retreat

A

Erosion of scarp slope causes loss of ground over the whole slope, but no loss of height

50
Q

Pediplain

A

Large, low-angled plain

51
Q

Conical hills

A

Small pointed hills

52
Q

Pointed buttes

A

Narrow hills with a sharp peak at the top

53
Q

Buttes

A

Flat-topped hills with a greater height than width

54
Q

Mesas

A

Flat topped table mountains with a greater width than height

55
Q

Cap rock

A

Horizontal layer of hard, resistant rock at the top of the mountain

56
Q

Tectonic uplift

A

Rising of land mass due to crustal forces

57
Q

Gullies

A

Small, narrow, long areas of erosion on a slope

58
Q

Badlands

A

A landscape with narrow gullies and sharp ridges formed in arid climates

59
Q

Sedimentary rock

A

Rock formed from the deposition and consolidation of eroded sediments

60
Q

Plateau

A

Large high-lying area that is relatively flat

61
Q

Igneous rock

A

Rock formed when magma cools and solidifies

62
Q

Landscapes

A

Area with a number of landforms

63
Q

Dolerite sill

A

A horizontal layer of igneous rock that has formed along a bedding plane

64
Q

Lava flow

A

Lava pours out onto the Earth’s surface where it cools and becomes solid

65
Q

Bedding planes

A

Planes separating layers of rock

66
Q

Stratified rock

A

Rock composed of layers or strata