Download Landforms/Weathering and Erosion File

Physical
Processes:
Mrs. Comeros Science
Earth’s Surface:
• The surface of the earth is made up of many
different landforms.
• A landform is a natural shape and type of
land on Earth’s surface.
U-shaped
Valley
V-shaped
Valley
Cave
Atoll
Lets Think!!!
• Does Earth’s surface ever
change?
• What causes those
changes?
• Why? How? Examples?
Physical Processes:
• Earth’s surface is constantly
changing.
• Different natural events, such as
earthquakes and volcanoes, change
the size and shape of landforms.
• These events are known as physical
processes.
Example: Mt. Saint Helens (1980)
Before
After
Example: Earthquake/Tsunami in Japan
Before
After
Mountain
Definition: A natural rise of the earth with
steep sides.
Mountains are formed when plates collide
and the land buckles upwards.
Earthquake
Definition:
Occur when two
of the earth’s
plates move
causing
vibrations, or
shaking to
occur.
Bam, Iran
12/26/2003
Volcano
Definition:
An opening in the earth’s
crust from which lava
flows.
Mt. St. Helens
5/18/1980
Weathering and Erosion
Weathering
Definition: The wearing away of a
surface through weather conditions,
such as wind, rain or ice.
Mount Rushmore
It will not be there forever!!
There is a pile of weathered
material at the bottom. It is
slowly being eroded down hill
by gravity.
Mrs. Degl
18
Erosion
Definition: A process that breaks rocks
down into tiny pieces and moves them
to another location.
Erosion:
The Grand Canyon was formed by erosion.
Running Water
Wind Erosion
Glaciers
U-Shaped Valleys
Formed
when a
glacier
erodes a
river valley
from its
original V
shape to a U
shape
Continue
V-shaped valley
shaped valley
U-
Mass Movements
Gravity
• Landslides, mudslides, slump and creep
landslide clip.mpeg
Wave Erosion
Beach Erosion
Sea Arch
Sea Arches
Flooding
Definition:
An overflow of
water onto land
that is normally
dry.
Flooding is
often caused by
heavy rains.
Flooding
• Overflowing rivers add nutrients to the surrounding
soil.
• If the Mississippi River were to flood, there would be an
increase in fertile soil in the MS River Valley.
Deposition
•Deposition is the process in which
sediment laid down in new locations.
•Caused by water, wind, ice, and
gravity.
Deposition
Type of
Deposition
Creates
Wind
Sand Dune
Water
*Waves
*River
*Beaches
*Delta
Ice
Moraine
Gravity
Landslide,
Slump, Creep
Picture
What is a delta?
• delta -- a place at the river's mouth, where the
river splits into many different sections,
forming a marshy triangle
What is a river mouth ?
• river mouth -- the place where a river empties
into a larger body of water
Delta – a fan shaped deposit that forms at the mouth of a
river/stream when it enters a larger body of water. This is seen
under the water. The particles are horizontally sorted.
Mrs. Degl
44
What is a moraine?
• moraine* -- An accumulation of boulders,
stones, or other debris carried and deposited by
a glacier
Check for Understanding:
1. What creates new landforms?
a) Earthquakes
b) Volcanoes
c) Erosion
d) All of the Above
Check for Understanding:
2. Which of these does not cause
weathering?
a) sunshine
b)wind
c) rain
d)ice
Check for Understanding:
3. Which United States landform
was most likely caused by
erosion?
a) The Great Lakes
b)The Mississippi River
c) The Rocky Mountains
d)The Grand Canyon
Check for Understanding:
4. Which physical process most
likely formed the Great
Smoky Mountains?
a) Flooding rivers
b)Erupting volcanoes
c) Plate tectonics
d)Wind erosion
Check for Understanding:
5. Which physical process most
likely causes a river to overflow,
adding nutrients to the local soil?
a) Heavy rains
b)Volcanic eruptions
c) Strong Winds
d)Melting Snow
Check for Understanding:
6. Which physical process
most likely shaped the
feature shown?
a) Plate tectonics
b) Volcanic eruptions
c) Water erosion
d) Coastal flooding
Check for Understanding:
7. Which physical process
most likely created the
mountain range shown
on the map?
a) erosion
b) flooding
c) plate tectonics
d) volcanic eruptions