Rocks | Weathering and Erosion | Water Features | Humans and the Environment | Potpourri |
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What is sedimentary rock?
This type of rock is formed by cementation and compaction of sediments.
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What is ice wedging, abrasion, or plant and animal activity?
This is a type of mechanical weathering.
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What is a delta?
This is the name for a fan-shaped area where a river slows and deposits sediments as it enters a large body of water.
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What is carbon dioxide?
This is a greenhouse gas produced by burning fossil fuels, including gasoline.
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What is a mudslide?
This is a type of mass wasting characterized by large amounts of mud traveling downhill after heavy rains.
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What is foliated?
Metamorphic rocks that have alternating bands of dark and light color are called this.
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What is creep?
This is the imperceptibly slow, downslope movement of soil and earth materials.
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What are sinkholes?
These are holes in the ground formed by water moving underground and taking away dirt and other sediments.
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What is a turbine?
Many energy production technologies heat water, producing steam to spin this, which then turns a generator, generating electricity.
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What is a plateau?
This is the name for a mountain with a flat top.
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What is stratification?
This is the process that forms layers in rock (horizontally, at least at first).
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What is movement of weathered material?
This is the definition of erosion.
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What is a stalactite?
In a cavern, this is a spike-like structure that hangs from the "roof" of the cavern.
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What is the greenhouse effect?
This is the process by which certain gases in the atmosphere reflect the Earth's heat, further warming it.
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What is a berm?
This is the raised part of a beach.
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What is intrusive (or an igneous intrusion)?
This is the name for rocks that form from cooling magma, specifically inside of the earth.
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What is terracing?
This is the process of making sloped land into a number of level flat areas resembling a series of steps.
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What is an aquifer?
This is the rock that can hold groundwater.
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What is nuclear energy?
This is the safest form of energy production per unit energy produced.
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What is a batholith?
This is an igneous intrusion greater than 100 square kilometers in size.
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What is chemical?
Halite (rock salt) is this sub-category of sedimentary rock.
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What is differential weathering?
This is a term for different rocks wearing away at different rates, and is responsible for the formation of the arches in Arches National Park in Utah.
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What is porosity?
This is a term that refers to the amount of holes or open spaces in a rock.
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What is thermal expansion?
This is the physical process by which substances take up more space as they increase in temperature.
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What is an oxbow lake?
This is a horseshoe-shaped lake formed by meanders of a river meeting each other.
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