Week 1

Question 1

What are the 4 spheres of interaction in geomorphology

Answer 1

1. Geosphere = tectonics + lithosphere
2. Hydrosphere = water cycle
3. Atmosphere = climate + biosphere
4. Anthrosphere = human influence

Question 2

What sphere branches off from geosphere

Answer 2

lithosphere

Question 3

What sphere branches off from hydrosphere

Answer 3

cryosphere

Question 4

What cycle is the movement of the lithosphere?

Answer 4

Tectonic cycle

Question 5

What cycle is the composition of the earth’s surface?

Answer 5

Rock Cycle

Question 6

What cycle includes solar energy, precipitation and evaporation?

Answer 6

Climate Cycle

Question 7

What do you call the shape and form of the earth’s surface

Answer 7

Topography

Question 8

What are the two forces of the geosphere

Answer 8

Tectonic forces and denudation forces

Question 9

What are the 3 types of tectonic plate boundaries

Answer 9

1. Convergent
2. Divergent
3. Transform

Question 10

What do tectonic forces do?

Answer 10

Endogenic, builds landforms

Question 11

What do denudation forces do

Answer 11

Exogenic, wear away forces

Question 12

What offsets erosion

Answer 12

Isostasy

Question 13

What occurs during Isostasy

Answer 13

For every metre of rock removed, rock uplifts ~80cm

Question 14

What are the 3 main rock types

Answer 14

1. Igneous - solidified from magma
2. Sedimentary - layers of accumulation
3. Metamorphic - chemically changed rock

Question 15

What is are some examples of Igneous rock

Answer 15

• Granite

- Basalt

Question 16

What are some examples of sedimentary rock

Answer 16

Grand Canyon

Question 17

What are some examples of metamorphic rock

Answer 17

• quartz

- sandstone

Question 18

What does rock superposition tell us

Answer 18

rock on bottom is older than rock on top

Question 19

What is the hydrologic cycle

Answer 19

exchange of water between the oceans, land and atmosphere

Question 20

How is water distributed in the hydrosphere

Answer 20

• 97% oceans
• <0.5% surface water
• 2% ice
• 0.6% groundwater

Question 21

Is the water cycle an open or closed system

Answer 21

closed

Question 22

Is a river an open or closed system

Answer 22

open

Question 23

What does the climate cycle signify

Answer 23

the distribution of rainfall

Question 24

what is climate

Answer 24

interaction of mean annual precipitation + mean annual temperature (+ spatial distribution of vegetation)

Question 25

What are the 6 core concepts in geomorphology

Answer 25

1. Conservation of mass 2. Conservation of energy 3. Material routing (ex, source to sink) 4. Force balances + thresholds 5. Recurrence intervals (frequency/magnitude) 6. Equilibrium and steady-state.

Question 26

What is the law of conservation of mass

Answer 26

Difference in inputs and outputs of a certain time period equals change in storage.

Question 27

What is the law of conservation of energy

Answer 27

Energy is neither created nor destroyed, only transformed.

Question 28

When does potential energy occur

Answer 28

before it happens

Question 29

When does kinetic energy occur

Answer 29

while it happens.

Question 30

What energy is required to do geomorphic work

Answer 30

dynamic energy

Question 31

What is an example of source to sink

Answer 31

source: hillslope transport: bedrock storage: estuaries export: ocean

Question 32

What occurs to make a boulder on a hill stationary

Answer 32

frictional forces = driving forces (shear force)

Question 33

What can be said about recurrence intervals

Answer 33

small magnitude recurs frequently | large magnitude recurs rarely

Question 34

What is an equilibrium

Answer 34

short term changes, longterm oscillation around mean value

Question 35

What is response time

Answer 35

amount of time when threshold is reached before new equilibrium is reached.

Question 36

What is a danger of prolonged rainfall

Answer 36

landslides.