1. Table of Contents Chapter Preview 3.1 Changing Earth’s Surface
3.2 Water Erosion
3.3 Waves and Wind
3.4 Glaciers

2. Chapter Preview Questions
1. The process that breaks down rock and other substances at Earth’s surface is called
a. uniformitarianism.
b. weathering.
c. mountain building.
d. erosion.

3. Chapter Preview Questions
1. The process that breaks down rock and other substances at Earth’s surface is called
a. uniformitarianism.
b. weathering.
c. mountain building.
d. erosion.

4. Chapter Preview Questions
2. What is the term for the mixture of rock particles, minerals,
decayed organic material, water, and air?
a. bedrock
b. humus
c. loam
d. soil

5. Chapter Preview Questions
2. What is the term for the mixture of rock particles, minerals,
decayed organic material, water, and air?
a. bedrock
b. humus
c. loam
d. soil

6. Chapter Preview Questions
3. Which of the following is a cause of mechanical weathering?
a. abrasion
b. oxygen
c. acid rain
d. living organisms

7. Chapter Preview Questions
3. Which of the following is a cause of mechanical weathering?
a. abrasion
b. oxygen
c. acid rain
d. living organisms

8. Chapter Preview Questions
4. Conservation plowing, crop rotation, and contour plowing are methods of promoting
a. soil loss.
b. soil conservation.
c. loss of fertility.
d. loss of topsoil.

9. Chapter Preview Questions
4. Conservation plowing, crop rotation, and contour plowing are methods of promoting
a. soil loss.
b. soil conservation.
c. loss of fertility.
d. loss of topsoil.

10. What are the forces of erosion and deposition that
shape our landscape?
Suppose that you fill a jar halfway with layers of gravel, sand, and soil. Then you fill the jar with water, cover it tightly, and shake for 5 seconds. What effect would shaking the jar have on the soil, sand, and gravel? What would happen to them after the shaking stops? Explain your answer.

11. Latin Word Origins de- From, down, away Deflation, deposition Word
Meaning
Examples
de-
From, down, away
Deflation, deposition

12. Latin Word Origins
Word
Meaning
Examples
flare
Blow
Deflation

13. Latin Word Origins -mentum Movement The act of, the result of Word
Meaning
Examples
-mentum
The act of, the result of
Movement

14. Latin Word Origins
Word
Meaning
Examples
positus
Put
Deposition

15. Latin Word Origins
Word
Meaning
Examples
sedere
Sit, settle
Sediment

16. Apply It! Review the Latin words and meanings. Look at the word sedere
and the second meaning of mentum. Predict the meaning of
sediment. Revise your definition as you read the chapter.
Sample: Sedere means “settle” and mentum means “the result of.”

17. End of Chapter Preview

18. Section 1: Changing Earth’s Surface
What processes wear down and build up Earth’s surface?
What causes the different types of mass movement?

19. Wearing Down and Building Up
Weathering, erosion, and deposition act together in a cycle that wears down and builds up Earth’s surface.

20. Mass Movement
The different types of mass movement include landslides, mudflows, slump, and creep.

21. Mass Movement Activity
Click the Active Art button to open a browser window and access Active Art about mass movement.

22. End of Section: Changing Earth’s Surface

23. Section 2: Water Erosion
What process is mainly responsible for shaping the surface of the land?
What features are formed by water erosion and deposition?
What factors affect a river’s ability to erode and carry sediment?

24. Sediment in Motion
Streams carry sediment in several ways.

25. Runoff and Erosion
Precipitation over the United States averages about 75 cm per year. About 22.5 cm becomes runoff. Generally, more runoff means more erosion.

26. Runoff and Erosion
Water flowing across the land runs together to form rills, gullies, and streams.

27. Erosion by Rivers
A waterfall forms where a flat layer of tough rock lies over a layer of softer rock that erodes easily. When the softer rock erodes, pieces of the harder rock above break off, creating the waterfall’s sharp drop.

28. Erosion by Rivers
Erosion often forms meanders and oxbow lakes where a river winds across its floodplain.

29. Deposits by Rivers
Deposition creates landforms such as alluvial fans and deltas.

30. The Course of a River
The slope and size of a river, as well as the sediment it carries, determine how a river shapes the land.

31. The Course of a River
The slope and size of a river, as well as the sediment it carries, determine how a river shapes the land.

32. Erosion and Sediment Load
A river’s slope is usually greatest near the river’s source. As a river approaches its mouth, its slope lessens.

33. Sediment on the Move
The speed, or velocity, of a stream affects the size of the sediment particles the stream can carry. Study the graph, then answer the following questions.

34. Sediment on the Move Reading Graphs: What variable is shown on
the x-axis of the graph?
Stream velocity

35. Sediment on the Move Reading Graphs:
What variable is shown on the y-axis of the graph?
Diameter of sediment particles

36. Sediment on the Move Interpreting Data:
What is the speed at which a stream can move coarse sand? Small pebbles? Large boulders?
About 50 cm/sec; about 90 cm/sec; about 800 cm/sec

37. Sediment on the Move Predicting:
A stream’s speed increases to about 600 cm per second during a flood. What are the largest particles the stream can move?
Small boulders

38. Sediment on the Move Developing Hypotheses:
Write a hypothesis that states the relationship between the speed of a stream and the size of sediment particles it can move.
The faster the speed of the flowing water, the larger the particles the stream is able to move.

39. Erosion and Sediment Load
A river erodes sediment from its banks on the outside curve and deposits sediment on the inside curve.

40. Click the Planet Diary button for an activity about floods.
More on Floods
Click the Planet Diary button for an activity about floods.

41. End of Section: Water Erosion

42. Section 3: Waves and Wind
What gives waves their energy?
How do waves shape a coast?
What are the causes and effects of wind erosion?

43. Erosion by Waves
Waves shape the coast through erosion by breaking down rock and transporting sand and other sediment.

44. Erosion by Waves
Erosion and deposition create a variety of features along a coast.

45. Deposits by Waves
Waves shape a coast when they deposit sediment, forming coastal features such as beaches, spits, and barrier beaches.

46. How Wind Causes Erosion
Wind erosion moves sediment particles of different sizes in the three ways shown below.

47. Wind Deposition
Wind erosion and deposition may form sand dunes and loess deposits.

48. Click the SciLinks button for links on waves.

49. Click the Video button to watch a movie about waves.

50. End of Section: Waves and Wind

51. Section 4: Glaciers What are the two kinds of glaciers?
How does a valley glacier form and move?
How do glaciers cause erosion and deposition?

52. How Glaciers Form and Move
During the last ice age, a continental glacier covered most of northern North America.

53. How Glaciers Shape the Land
As a glacier moves, plucking breaks pieces of bedrock from the ground.

54. How Glaciers Shape the Land
Erosion by glaciers can carve a mountain peak into a sharp horn and grind out a V-shaped valley to form a U-shaped valley.

55. How Glaciers Shape the Land
As glaciers advance and retreat, they sculpt the landscape by erosion and deposition.

56. Click the SciLinks button for links on glaciers.

57. End of Section: Glaciers

58. QuickTake Quiz
Click to start quiz.