Physical Processes Flashcards
(14 cards)
What is weathering?
Weathering is the breakdown of rocks in situ by physical, chemical or biological processes.
Name 3 types of physical weathering.
Freeze thaw, exfoliation, salt crystallisation.
What is mass movement?
The downslope movement of soil and rock due to gravity, including slides, flows and slumps
How does freeze thaw weathering occur?
Water enters the cracks in the rocks, freezes and expands, exerting pressure and eventually breaking the rock apart.
What is erosion?
The wearing away and removal of material by agents like water, wind or ice.
Name 4 types of fluvial erosion.
Hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition, and solution.
What is longshore drift?
The transport of sediment along the coast by wave action at an angle to the shoreline.
Define deposition
The laying down of sediment when transporting medium loses energy.
What physical process shape coastal landscapes?
Erosion, transportation, deposition, weathering, and mass movement.
What is hydraulic action in river or coastal erosion?
The force of water entering the cracks, compressing air and breaking the rock apart.
What is abrasion in a river or coastal environment?
When sediment and rocks carried by the water scrape and wear away surfaces.
What is the role of vegetation in physical processes?
Roots can break rocks (biological weathering) and stabilise slopes, reducing mass movement.
What are constructive and deconstructive waves?
Constructive waves build up beaches with strong wash, while destructive waves erode with a strong backwash.
What is an isostatic sea level change?
A local sea level change due to land rising or falling, often after glacial melting.
