U2L1 Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition VOCABULARY

The idea that Earth always changed in uniform ways and that the present is a key to the past. Slow process.

The idea that changes in the Earth’s crust during geological history have resulted chiefly from sudden violent and unusual events.

Uniformitarianism changes it more.

The process of breaking down material. MECHANICAL—Rocks break up without experiencing any change in their chemical composition CHEMICAL—Decomposition of rock due to chemical reactions

The process by which sediment and other materials are moved from one place to another

The process by which eroded material is dropped

Tiny grains of broken-down rock

The measure of the change in elevation over a certain distance.

Curves and bends that form a twisting, looping pattern in a stream channel

A cut-off meander that forms a crescent/horseshoe-shaped lake.

A fan-shaped deposit that forms dry land.

A fan-shaped build-up of sediment, caused by streams depositing their loads.

An Alluvial fan forms at the source of a stream, whereas a Delta forms at the mouth of one.

A flat area formed by many layers of deposited sediment.

A man-made structure meant to control water flow

A deposit of sediment that is parallel to the mainland.

Mounds of sand deposited by the wind

Thick deposits of windblown, fine-grained sand.

A large mass of moving ice that forms by the compacting of snow by natural forces

A material left behind by a moving glacier

Lakes formed by chunks of ice breaking off of glaciers and melting.

The movement of rock and soil down-slope under the influence of gravity.

The extremely slow movement of material down-slope.