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Questions and Answers
The ______ is the upper level of the saturation zone of groundwater.
The ______ is the upper level of the saturation zone of groundwater.
water table
The process by which surface water enters rock or soil through cracks and pore spaces is called ______.
The process by which surface water enters rock or soil through cracks and pore spaces is called ______.
infiltration
A ______ is a stream that empties into another stream.
A ______ is a stream that empties into another stream.
tributary
During a ______, the discharge of a stream exceeds its channel capacity and overflows its banks.
During a ______, the discharge of a stream exceeds its channel capacity and overflows its banks.
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______ refers to the maximum load that a stream can carry.
______ refers to the maximum load that a stream can carry.
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The area where water fills all the open spaces in sediment and rock is known as the ______.
The area where water fills all the open spaces in sediment and rock is known as the ______.
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A ______ forms where a stream accumulates sediment upon entering a lake or ocean.
A ______ forms where a stream accumulates sediment upon entering a lake or ocean.
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The slope or steepness of a stream channel is referred to as the ______.
The slope or steepness of a stream channel is referred to as the ______.
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A ______ is a thick ice mass that forms above the snowline over hundreds or thousands of years.
A ______ is a thick ice mass that forms above the snowline over hundreds or thousands of years.
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Hot springs have water that is ______ warmer than the mean air temperature of the locality.
Hot springs have water that is ______ warmer than the mean air temperature of the locality.
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A ______ is formed whenever the water table intersects the ground surface.
A ______ is formed whenever the water table intersects the ground surface.
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The motion of glaciers is often described as ______, occurring through plastic flow and basal slip.
The motion of glaciers is often described as ______, occurring through plastic flow and basal slip.
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An ______ well is a hole bored into the zone of saturation.
An ______ well is a hole bored into the zone of saturation.
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Plucking refers to the ______ of rock blocks by glaciers.
Plucking refers to the ______ of rock blocks by glaciers.
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Ice sheets are enormous ice masses that flow in all directions and cover everything but the ______ land.
Ice sheets are enormous ice masses that flow in all directions and cover everything but the ______ land.
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A ______ is a U-shaped valley that was once V-shaped but was deepened by a glacier.
A ______ is a U-shaped valley that was once V-shaped but was deepened by a glacier.
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Kettles are depressions created when a block of ice becomes lodged in glacial deposits and subsequently melts, while drumlins are streamlined, asymmetrical hills composed of glacial ______.
Kettles are depressions created when a block of ice becomes lodged in glacial deposits and subsequently melts, while drumlins are streamlined, asymmetrical hills composed of glacial ______.
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The ice age began 2 to 3 million years ago during the ______ Epoch.
The ice age began 2 to 3 million years ago during the ______ Epoch.
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An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit of ______ formed when a stream's slope is abruptly reduced.
An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit of ______ formed when a stream's slope is abruptly reduced.
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Desert pavement is a layer of coarse pebbles and gravel created when wind removes the ______ material.
Desert pavement is a layer of coarse pebbles and gravel created when wind removes the ______ material.
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Earthquakes occur due to the rapid release of energy, and the point within Earth where the earthquake starts is called the ______.
Earthquakes occur due to the rapid release of energy, and the point within Earth where the earthquake starts is called the ______.
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Surface waves are seismic waves that travel along Earth's outer ______.
Surface waves are seismic waves that travel along Earth's outer ______.
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Body waves consist of P waves and S waves; P waves are ______-pull waves that push and pull in the direction that the waves travel.
Body waves consist of P waves and S waves; P waves are ______-pull waves that push and pull in the direction that the waves travel.
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A ______ is a small earthquake that often precedes a major earthquake.
A ______ is a small earthquake that often precedes a major earthquake.
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The exact location of an earthquake epicenter can be found using travel-time graphs from three or more ______.
The exact location of an earthquake epicenter can be found using travel-time graphs from three or more ______.
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About 95 percent of major earthquakes occur in a few narrow ______.
About 95 percent of major earthquakes occur in a few narrow ______.
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The ______ scale is based on the amplitude of the largest seismic wave.
The ______ scale is based on the amplitude of the largest seismic wave.
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The ______ magnitude scale estimates the energy released by earthquakes.
The ______ magnitude scale estimates the energy released by earthquakes.
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The thin, rocky outer layer of the Earth is called the ______.
The thin, rocky outer layer of the Earth is called the ______.
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The soft, weak layer beneath the lithosphere is known as the ______.
The soft, weak layer beneath the lithosphere is known as the ______.
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The ______ is the layer below the crust and has a depth of up to 2900 kilometers.
The ______ is the layer below the crust and has a depth of up to 2900 kilometers.
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The ______ zone is characterized by the absence of P waves from 105 to 140 degrees around the globe.
The ______ zone is characterized by the absence of P waves from 105 to 140 degrees around the globe.
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Study Notes
Running Water and Groundwater
- Water constantly moves between oceans, atmosphere, Earth's surface, and the biosphere.
- Processes: Precipitation, evaporation, infiltration (water into rock/soil), runoff, transpiration (plants releasing water into the atmosphere). Water transport depends on velocity.
- Gradient: The slope of a stream channel.
- Stream Channel: The path water follows.
- Discharge: The volume of water flowing past a point in a given time.
- Tributary: A stream emptying into another stream.
- Meanders: Winding stream course in broad valleys, near base level.
- Bedload: Material too large to be carried in suspension.
- Capacity: The maximum load a stream can carry.
- Deposition: Occurs when stream flow is below settling velocity. Deposits are called alluvium.
- Deltas: Sediment accumulation where a stream meets a lake/ocean.
- Natural Levees: Parallel streams and contain water except during floods.
- Narrow V-shaped valleys: Stream's primary work is downcutting toward base level. Features include rapids and waterfalls.
- Floodplains: A wide area of a valley covered by water during floods. Meanders, cutoff, and oxbow lakes often form.
- Floods: Event when stream discharge exceeds channel capacity causing overflow.
- Drainage Basin: Land area contributing water to a stream.
- Divide: Imaginary line separating drainage basins.
- Zone of Saturation: Area where water fills all open spaces in sediment/rock.
- Groundwater: Water within the zone of saturation.
- Water Table: Upper boundary of the saturation zone.
- Porosity: Percentage of pore space.
Glaciers
- Glaciers: Thick ice masses that form over hundreds/thousands of years.
- Ice Ages: Periods with widespread glacial coverage.
- Valley Glaciers: Ice masses flowing down mountain valleys.
- Ice Sheets: Massive ice masses covering large regions.
- Flow: Movement caused by plastic flow (movement within ice) and basal slip (sliding).
- Erosion: Glaciers erode through plucking (lifting rocks) and abrasion (wearing away rocks).
- Glacial Trough: U-shaped valley formed by glacial erosion, originally a V-shaped valley.
- Cirque: Bowl-shaped depression at the head of a glacial valley.
- Arêtes and Horns: Sharp ridges and peaks resulting from glacial erosion.
- Till: Material deposited directly by a glacier.
- Stratified Drift: Sediment deposited by meltwater.
- Moraines: Layers/ridges of till.
- Outwash Plains: Sloping plains from meltwater streams.
- Kettle: Depression created when a block of ice melts within glacial deposits.
- Drumlins: Streamlined, asymmetrical hills of glacial debris.
- Eskers: Ridges of sand and gravel deposited by streams beneath glaciers.
Deserts and Wind
- Abrasion: Windborne particles wearing down rock.
- Loess: Deposits of windblown silt, extensive layers.
- Dunes: Wind-accumulated sand mounds/ridges.
- Types of Sand Dunes: Barchan, transverse, longitudinal, star, parabolic, barchanoid.
- Deflation: Removal of fine sediment by wind.
- Desert Pavement: Layer of coarse pebbles/gravel remaining after wind removes finer material.
- Playa Lakes: Flat areas that fill with water after rain.
- Alluvial Fans: Fan-shaped deposits of sediment where a stream slope abruptly reduces.
Earthquakes and Earth's Interior
- Earthquake: Vibration of Earth from energy release.
- Focus: Point within Earth where the earthquake originates.
- Epicenter: Point on the surface located directly above the focus.
- Faults: Fractures in Earth where movement has occurred.
- Aftershocks: Smaller earthquakes following a main earthquake.
- Foreshocks: Small earthquakes preceding a major earthquake.
- Seismographs: Instruments to record earthquake waves.
- Surface Waves: Seismic waves that travel along Earth's surface.
- Body Waves: Seismic waves that travel through Earth's interior.
- P Waves: Push-pull waves that compress/expand.
- S Waves: Seismic waves that travel along Earth's outer layer.
- Shadow Zones: Regions where body waves are not detected because they are absorbed or reflected in the Earth's core.
- Richter Scale: Measures earthquake amplitude (magnitude).
- Moment Magnitude: Measures energy released by earthquakes (more widely used).
- Continental crust: Upper crust composed of granite.
- Oceanic crust: Upper crust composed of basalt.
- Lithosphere: Crust and uppermost mantle (cool, rigid, solid).
- Asthenosphere: Upper mantle, soft and easily deformed
- Lower mantle: More rigid, rocks flow gradually.
- Outer Core: Liquid layer
- Inner core: Solid sphere
- Mohorovicic discontinuity (Moho): Boundary between crust and mantle.
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Description
Explore the essential processes of the water cycle including precipitation, evaporation, and stream dynamics. This quiz covers key concepts such as discharge, tributaries, meanders, and sediment deposition. Test your understanding of how water interacts with the environment and shapes our landscapes.
