Wind Erosion, Deposition and Glaciers

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Questions and Answers

What is the phenomenon called when the wind removes surface particles, resulting in a lower land surface?

Erosion

Abrasion

Deflation (correct)

Sedimentation

Which of the following areas is most likely to experience significant wind erosion and transport?

Dense forests

Wetlands

Deserts (correct)

Mountain ranges

Which process involves sand particles rubbing against and eroding rocks?

Deflation

Sedimentation

Abrasion (correct)

Alluvial flow

What term describes rocks that have been shaped by windblown sediments?

Ventifacts Signup and view all the answers

What environmental condition is likely to increase wind erosion in a region?

Limited precipitation Signup and view all the answers

Which historical event was significantly related to the loss of vegetation and increased wind activity in the Great Plains?

The Dust Bowl Signup and view all the answers

In what form of matter is water primarily found when examining glaciers?

Solid Signup and view all the answers

What can be an effective agent of erosion due to its hard mineral composition?

Sand Signup and view all the answers

What are continental glaciers?

Glaciers that cover extensive, continent-sized areas. Signup and view all the answers

What process occurs when a valley glacier moves over bedrock?

Grinding Signup and view all the answers

What is formed by the converging of higher tributary glaciers with a lower primary glacier?

A hanging valley Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes the unsorted rock, gravel, sand, and clay carried by glaciers?

Glacial till Signup and view all the answers

What shape is created by the carving action of glaciers on three sides of a mountaintop?

A horn Signup and view all the answers

In which area do glaciers move outward due to snow accumulation?

Zone of accumulation Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic makes glaciers the most powerful erosional agents?

Their vast size and weight Signup and view all the answers

What is the process called when a glacier breaks off pieces of rock?

Plucking Signup and view all the answers

What primarily causes the movement of dunes in windblown environments?

Prevailing winds moving sand from the windward side to the leeward side Signup and view all the answers

What factors determine the shape of a dune?

Wind velocity, wind direction, availability of sand, and vegetation Signup and view all the answers

What are loess deposits primarily composed of?

Fertile dust-like silt blown by the wind Signup and view all the answers

Where do glaciers primarily form?

Near Earth's poles and in mountainous areas at high elevations Signup and view all the answers

What is the shape of valleys formed by valley glaciers as they flow downslope?

U-shaped glacial valleys Signup and view all the answers

How much of Earth’s surface is covered by glaciers?

Approximately 10 percent Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used for thick, windblown silt deposits?

Loess Signup and view all the answers

Which environmental feature aids in the formation of dunes?

Any large rock or landform that obstructs sand movement Signup and view all the answers

What type of deposit forms when a glacier retreats?

Moraine Signup and view all the answers

Which feature is formed by the melting of large blocks of ice left by glaciers?

Kettle lakes Signup and view all the answers

What sediment type is referred to as outwash?

Meltwater-carried gravel and sand Signup and view all the answers

How do eskers form?

By streams flowing under melting glaciers Signup and view all the answers

What landscape features do continental glaciers primarily leave behind?

Moraines, drumlins, and kames Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes a kame?

A mound of layered sediment from washed till Signup and view all the answers

What is true about terminal moraines?

They can block valleys and create lakes. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of drumlins?

They are elongated landforms formed by older moraines. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Wind Erosion and Transport

Deflation: The process of lowering the land surface by removing surface particles by wind.
Dust Bowl: A period in the 1930s in the Great Plains region where strong winds eroded dry surface particles due to lack of vegetation and drought.
Abrasion: Windblown particles, such as sand, rub against rock surfaces, causing erosion.
Ventifacts: Rocks shaped by windblown sediments.

Wind Deposition

Dunes: Windblown sand accumulates when an object obstructs its movement.
Factors Influencing Dune Formation: Sand availability, wind velocity, wind direction, and vegetation.
Dune Migration: Prevailing winds move sand from the windward to leeward side of a dune, resulting in slow dune movement.
Loess: Thick, windblown silt deposits that are fertile due to their mineral content.

Glaciers

Glaciers: Large masses of moving ice formed near the poles and in mountainous areas.
Valley Glaciers: Form in valleys of high mountains and carve V-shaped valleys into U-shaped glacial valleys.
Continental Glaciers: Cover large areas of land and form in cold climates with heavy snowfall.
Glacial Movement: The movement outwards occurs due to the accumulation of snow in the zone of accumulation where more snow falls than melts, evaporates, or sublimates.

Glacial Erosion

Most powerful erosional agent due to size and weight.
Plucking: Glaciers break off pieces of rock.
Abrasion: Glaciers grind parallel scratches into bedrock.
Cirques: Deep, bowl-shaped depressions formed by glaciers at high elevations.
Horns: Steep, pyramid-shaped peaks formed when glaciers carve three or more sides of a mountain.
Hanging Valleys: Formed when higher tributary glaciers converge with lower primary glaciers and retreat, leaving a valley hanging high above the primary valley floor.

Glacial Deposition

Glacial Till: Unsorted rocks, gravel, sand, and clay carried by glaciers.
Moraines: Unsorted ridges of till deposited by retreating glaciers.
Outwash: Gravel, sand, and silt deposited by meltwater.
Outwash Plain: Area at the leading edge of a glacier where meltwater flows and deposits outwash.
Drumlins: Elongated landforms formed when glaciers move over older moraines.
Eskers: Long, winding ridges of layered sediment deposited by streams flowing under melting glaciers.
Kames: Mounds of layered sediment formed when till gets washed into depressions in melting ice.

Continental Glacial Features

Kames, eskers, drumlins, and moraines are distinctive features formed by continental glaciers.

Glacial Lakes

Kettles (Kettle Lakes): Form when water fills holes created by blocks of ice breaking off glaciers.
Cirque Lakes: Form when cirques fill with water.
Moraine-Dammed Lakes: Form when a terminal moraine blocks off a valley and it fills with water.

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Description

Explore the concepts of wind erosion, transport, and deposition through this engaging quiz. Delve into phenomena like deflation, abrasion, and the formation of dunes and glaciers. Understand how these natural processes shape our landscape and environment.