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Constructive and Destructive Forces Study Guide
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What are constructive processes?
Constructive forces affect the earth's surface by building it up while forming new crust
and landforms like mountains, islands, deltas, and sand dunes.
What are destructive processes?
Destructive forces affect the earth's surface by breaking down landforms to form new
ones through the processes of weathering and erosion
Vocabulary to know: Be prepared to give examples/identify pictures of each.
ConstructiveDestructiveDelta
Erosion
Deposition (sediment)
Weathering
Sand dune
Sinkhole
Both:
Volcano (magma/lava)
Plate tectonics
Faults
Earthquakes
How does erosion occur?
Erosion is the process whereby small pieces of soil, rock, and other material
are carried by wind or water from one place to another. Rivers and streams often carry large
amounts of silt and sand to larger bodies of water (lakes and oceans) where the debris
is deposited. As particles settle out, they form new land. In the case of a river delta, deposition
creates new land along a coastline.
What role has technology and human intervention had in controlling constructive and
destructive processes?
1. Seismology- We can monitor earthquakes/volcanoes with the use of
seismographs. Preparing for these events can control the amount of damage that occurs.
2. Dams are built across rivers to control the flow of running water. This helps to
manage the destructive force of water erosion.
3. Levees help to contain the flow of water. Rivers naturally create their own levees
through the process of deposition. During flooding periods man-made levees may be
added. They help to control the destructive force of water erosion.
4. Storm-Drainage systems are built along the streets to collect rain water that does not
get into the soil. The water flows through a series of pipes until it is released into a large
body of water. They help to control the destructive force of water erosion.
5. Beach reclamation is the act of reclaiming a beach from erosion. In other words sand
is added to the area that was lost to erosion "reclaiming" the shoreline that once
was. Reclamation does not just occur on ocean beaches but any beach or shoreline that is
subject to severe erosion.
Some possible questions:
-How can a glacier moving down a mountain have destructive AND constructive results?
-How can a volcanic explosion have destructive AND constructive results?
-What might cause sharp, rough mountains to become rounded and smooth over time?
-How do mountains form over time?