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BYU GEO 101 Exam 2
Monson
86
Geography
Undergraduate 1
10/01/2012

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Cards

Term
What is weathering?
Definition
The breakdown of rock by physical and chemical reactions with air and water.
Term
How do smooth rocks get cracks?
Definition
-Naturally occuring from the expanding and contracting from the cooling process
-Earthquakes
-Lava - as it cools, it contracts, causing cracks
Term
These affect the type and rate of weathering.
Definition
Climate and rock type
Term
Rock breaks down faster in this type of climate.
Definition
Hot, moist climates
Term
Joints in rocks
Definition
Fractures. Results from tectonic stresses of contracting to to cooling igneous rock.
Term
Three types of tectonic stress
Definition
Compressive
Tensional
Shear
Term
How is columnar basalt formed?
Definition
When the lava cools, in contracts towards a center point, creating a 5 or 6 sided column.
Term
What is physical weathering?
Definition
The mechanical fragmentation of rocks from stress.
Term
What are some types of physical weathering?
Definition
-Frost wedging
-Thermal weathering
-Wetting drying (hydration)
-Unloading (exfoliation)
-Salt wedging
-Biological weathering
Term
Frost wedging
Definition
when water gets into a crack, and the freezes, expanding the crack
Term
Thermal weathering
Definition
The weather changes from hot to cold
Term
Wetting drying (hydration)
Definition
Absorption of moisture causes swelling.
Term
Unloading (exfoliating)
Definition
Expanding after heavy loads are removed, or the expanding removes some rock.
Term
Salt Wedging
Definition
Water settles into the cracks, evaopartes, but leaves the salt behind. Salt crystals grow and shatter the fence post.
Term
Biological weathering
Definition
Plant roots can expand cracks.
Burrowing animals carrying air and water down into bedrock.
Term
What is chemical weathering?
Definition
Chemical reactions with minerals that break down rock.
Term
Three types of chemical weathering
Definition
-Hydrolysis
-Oxidation
-Dissolution
Term
What is hydrolysis?
Definition
A chemical reaction between water and another substance to produce a new compound that is usually weaker than the original
Term
What is oxidation?
Definition
When oxygen dissolved in water comes into contact with certain rock minerals.
Term
What is dissolution?
Definition
The process by which a solid, liquid or gas forms a solution in a solvent
Term
What is a karst?
Definition
Chemical weathering where limestone bedrock dissolves when it comes in contact with groundwater.
Term
What landforms produced from the karst process?
Definition
-Sinkholes
-speleothem (the caves)
-haystack hills
-tufa cones
Term
What is a speleotherm?
Definition
A cave created thru the karst process. Contains stalactites and stalagmites.
Term
How are haystack hills formed.
Definition
Over time, sink holes from the karsting process merge together. the ground left behind are known as haystack hills.
Term
Name some hydrothermal features.
Definition
Geysers
Hot springs
Fumaroles
Tufa cones
Term
What are geysers?
Definition
Where groundwater comes in contact with heated igneous rock below the surface. As the water heats, the pressure builds until it blows.
Term
What are hot springs?
Definition
Where ground water comes in contact with heated igneous rock, but it is not under pressure.
Term
What are fumaroles?
Definition
Like a geyser, but instead of water, it is just steam.
Term
What are tufa cones?
Definition
The result of overflow of warm groundwater. Midway at the Homestead.
Term
What is mass wasting?
Definition
The down slope movement of earth material due to gravity.
Term
How does water affect mass wasting?
Definition
Water lubricates, makes everything slippery and adds weight. It saturates the soils.
Term
Most important factors in slope failure
Definition

Saturation of slope material with water

 Earthquakes

 Freezing and thawing

Term
Types of slope failure
Definition
Rockfall
Slump
Earth or mudflow
Solifluction
Creep
Term
Describe rockfall
Definition
Cracks in rocks indicate water erosion. Rockfall can be one rock, or lots. Accumulated rocks and the bottom of a cliff is called Talus.
Term
Describe slump
Definition
It creates step-like terraces as it slumps down.
Term
Describe earth or mud flow.
Definition
Lots of water, like a muddy river. Very moist environment
Term
Describe solifluction.
Definition
Occurs in extremely cold environment, high altitude, in permafrost. The top few inches or feet thaws and starts to slide over the frozen layer. Creates irregular terrain.
Term
What is Pangaea?
Definition
The supercontinent that was made up of all landmasses on the earth
Term
What is Laurasia?
Definition
The north portion of the supercontinent Pangaea.
Term
What is Gondwana?
Definition
The southern portion of the supercontinent Pangaea.
Term
Describe Continental Drift.
Definition
Alfred Wegner's theory that the continents were drifting across the ocean bed. He recognized the puzzle-like shape of the continents and the plant, wildlife and rock that matched on continents separated by ocean. Unfortunately, he did nt know the mechanism behind the theory and so it was dismissed.
Term
Describe Plate Tectonics.
Definition
The lithosphere is made up of large plates that shift and move as a result of convection. Plates were dicovered through seafloor mapping and mapping of earthquake patterns.
Term
Seafloor spreading
Definition
Discovered thru Paleomagnetism and Ocean Rock Floor Sampling
Term
What is a Hot Spot?
Definition
A spot deep in the mantle which leaks hot magma/lava to the the earth's surface. Hot spots do not move. The Hawaiian islands were created by hot spots. Yellowstone has one.
Term
What is an accreted terrane?
Definition
The addition of material to a plate during the subduction process. Accounts for geologic incongruities between continental interiors. NV, OR, WA all accreted onto the North American Plate.
Term
What is Diastrophism?
Definition
Deformation of the earth's crust, particularly thru folding and faulting
Term
Describe earths folding.
Definition
It is the result of compressional forces. Downfold is a syncline, upfold is anticline, monocline does not fold.
Term
Anticlinal Valley
Definition
Where the layers of bedrock erode quickly because of folding and looks like a syncline, but is not.
Term
Describe faulting.
Definition
Rock that has been forcefully broken. Occurs along zones of weakness in the earth's crust. Common in Coastal areas
Term
Shield volcano
Definition
Broad domes. Wider than it is tall.
Magma is extremly hot and very runny. Gas bubbles rise to the top and are released into the atmosphere. Found over hot spots. Hawaii.
Term
Composite or strato volcano
Definition
Magma is cooler, thick, pasty and viscous. Bubbles cannot rise so the pressure builds until there is a large explosion. Cone shaped. Mt Pinatubo
Term
Name some extrusive volcanic landforms.
Definition
Shield or composite volcanoes, and caldera.
Term
Name some intrusive volcanis landforms.
Definition
Batholith
Laccolith
Dike
Term
What is a batholith?
Definition
Magma that cools and solidifies below earths surface. Igneous Intrusive. Usually Granite.
Term
What is a laccolith?
Definition
Magma that gathered in one spot between two sheets of sediment. Pushes the upper layer upward.
Term
What is a dike?
Definition
A vertical layer of magma that melted its way up.
Term
Wegner's evidences for continental drift.
Definition

-Puzzle-like fit of widely separated continents

-Similarity of rock and mountain formations near coastlines of separated continents

-Matching fossils of extinct species on widely separated landmasses

Term
Three types of plate boundaries.
Definition
Divergent
Convergent
Transform
Term
Describe a divergent plate boundary.
Definition

Where the boundaries are being pushed apart. This happens at ocean ridges, were the convection process pushes magma up and pushes the boundaries apart.

Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Term
Describe a convergent plate boundary.
Definition

Where plates come together. Oceanic plates collide, denser one gets drawn down. Friction causes magma to move up. Unsubducted plate will have island chain. Aleutian Islands. 

Oceanic-Continental - Oceanic is more dense, so it will subduct and create a volcanically active mountain range. Cascade Mtn Range.

Continental-Continental - They don't subduct, so they move up, creating mountains. Himalayan Mountains.

Term
Describe a transform plate boundary.
Definition
The plate are sliding past eachother. San Andreas Fault.
Term
Example of landforms assciated with faulting.
Definition

Block Mountain Range - the Wasatch Range.

Horsts and Graben - Great Rift Valley in Africa

Term
Stream Discharge
Definition
The volume rate of water flow. Amazon has greatest discharge.
Term
Tributary
Definition
A small stream that jons another. Small streams have no tributary.
First stream orders are without tributaris. When two first-order dtreams combine, they are called a 2nd order stream.Eighty percent of streams are 1st, 2nd, or 3rd order.
Term
Channel
Definition
The trough water travels in.
Term
Fluvial transportation
Definition
All streams transport sediment. Stream-transported sediments are eventually deposited in a river or ocean.
Term
Types of fluvial transportation
Definition
Dissolved load - salt/minerals
Suspended load - clay and silt
Bedload - sand and larger
Term
Characteristics of bedload
Definition
Carries partciles the size of sand or larger.
Saltation is the bouncing of sand as it goes down the stream
Traction is the process of pushing larger rocks down the stream
If a stream doubles in speed it can carry rocks 64x heavier.
Term
Name four channel patterns.
Definition
Straight
Meandering
Sinuous
Braided
Term
Describe how a delta is formed.
Definition
As streams dump into the cean, they deposit sediment in theo the sea until the sediment builds up and blocks the stream, rerouting the water. Mississippi River.
Term
Describe a floodplain
Definition
Flat or nearly flat plain adjacent a river. Extends to edges of valley, created by meandering. Floods when river is full.
Term
What is a levee?
Definition
A natural or artificial earthen ridge that runs parallel to a river to prevent overflow.
Term
Effect of stream gradient.
Definition
Higher gradient (steeper) river flow faster, can carry more stuff.
Term
What is a Yazoo stream?
Definition
A small tributary that runs paralle to a larger stream. Will Usually join the larger one. When levees form, it has a harder time eroding through.
Term
What is a distributary?
Definition
A stream that branches off from the main channel. Usually occurs near an cean or lake.
Term
What is an oxbow lake?
Definition
A cutoff meander. The water ct through the rock, leaving a u-shaped river.
Term
What is alluvium?
Definition
Sediment deposited by a stream.
Term
What is a canyon?
Definition
A ravine between cliffs carved by water.
Term
What is a bluff?
Definition
A cliff near a river which has not been eroded yet.
Erosional landform
Term
Where will you find a sand bar or point bar? How is it created?
Definition
On the inside of a meandering stream.The water inside the curve is mving slower, so it deposits some of its sedimentry content.
Term
The difference between perennial and ephemeral streams.
Definition
Ephemeral streams are occaisional, they don't flow all year. Perennial streams run al year.
Term
Erosional and depositional dynamics of river meanders.
Definition
As meanders curve, they erode the outer edges and deposit on the inner edges.
Term
What are paired terraces?
Definition
Terrace at opposite sides of a river that match in height. Reflects where the river bed was before it cut down into the earth. Erosional.
Term
What is an entrenched meander?
Definition
The same as incised. It cuts down into the earth.
Term
Describe a knickpoint retreat.
Definition
The river bed is resistant to erosion, be the earth underneath that layer is not. At water falls, the water erodes the less resistant layer, causing the bed layer to fall because it has no support. Niagara Fals used to retreat 3 feet per year. Now it is closer three inches every decade. They rerouted the water for energy.
Term
Subduction zone island chains
Definition
Oceanic subducting: Aleutian Islands
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