Geology and River Dynamics Quiz

The speed at which water flows in a river or stream.

The steepness of the slope a river or stream travels along.

The amount of water flowing past a point in a river in a given time.

The process of dropping or depositing sediments.

Loose weathered rock and organic material that plants can grow in.

Rocks transformed from existing rocks due to intense heat, pressure, or chemical reactions.

The process of rocks breaking down due to exposure to Earth's surface processes.

Metamorphic rocks with visible bands or layers, caused by pressure and mineral alignment.

Metamorphic rocks without visible layers, showing a more uniform texture.

The process of forming metamorphic rocks by intense pressure squeezing out water and air.

The original rock material from which soil forms.

The shape of the land.

The movement of plates sliding past each other, often causing earthquakes.

Plate boundaries where plates collide, often leading to mountains and earthquakes.

The process of removing and transporting weathered materials by natural forces like wind, water, or glaciers.

A large mass of ice and snow that moves slowly under its own weight, carving valleys and shaping landscapes.

The breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces of the same material, without changing their composition.

Water seeps into cracks in rocks, freezes, expands, and pushes the rock apart. This happens repeatedly in freezing climates.

The agents responsible for breaking down rocks, including water, waves, wind, gravity, and glaciers.

Water, waves, wind, gravity, and glaciers are examples of these. These things cause rocks to break down and change.

Igneous rocks that form when magma cools slowly beneath the Earth's surface, allowing crystals to grow larger.

Igneous rocks formed from lava that cools quickly on the Earth's surface, resulting in smaller crystals.

Broken pieces of rocks, minerals, and organic matter that are transported by wind and water, then deposited.

Sedimentary rocks composed of fragments of other rocks, cemented together.

The process where sediments are carried and deposited by wind, water, or ice.

The average time it takes for Earth to complete a full rotation relative to the sun, approximately 24 hours.

The movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure.

The amount of water vapor in the air.

The predictable changes in weather patterns throughout a year, influenced by Earth's movement.

Occur when the night and day are equal.

The breakdown of rocks due to changes in their chemical composition, often involving reactions with water, acids, or oxygen.

The dissolving of minerals in rocks by weak acids, like carbonic acid in rainwater, causing changes in the rock's composition.

The process where iron in rocks reacts with oxygen, forming iron oxide, commonly known as rust.

The process of moving weathered materials by natural forces like glaciers, water, or gravity.

The combination of weathered rock, organic matter, and minerals, providing a base for plant life.

The breakdown of rocks where minerals undergo a change in chemical composition.

A type of chemical weathering involving water. The water molecules react with the minerals, causing them to break down.

A chemical weathering process where carbon dioxide dissolves in water to form a weak acid that can dissolve some minerals, like calcite.

Weathering caused by plants and animals. Plant roots can pry apart rocks, while burrowing animals can break rocks.

The relationship between a mineral's density and the density of water.

The amount of mass in a given volume of a substance.

A substance's density is calculated by dividing its mass by its volume.

Igneous rocks are formed from the cooling and solidification of molten rock (magma or lava).

Sedimentary rocks are formed by the accumulation and cementation of sediments, such as sand, silt, or clay.