tying it together… you now have had significant experience learning about the variety of ways...
Post on 20-Jan-2016
212 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
EROSION, DEPOSITION & LANDSCAPES
Tying it together…
You now have had significant experience learning about the variety of ways rocks form, and some unique formations associated with the study of plate tectonics. You are most familiar with what are known as uplifting forces. For example, the contribution of plate convergence to volcanic mountain ranges. New crust is formed, old crust is recycled back into the Earth. The focus of this unit seeks to broaden your understanding of leveling forces, those which contribute to wearing away of materials on the Earth’s surface.
Our weathering unit taught us that rocks can be broken down by both physical and chemical means based on climate and bedrock type. Understanding how Earth materials erode, becomes the next step in truly understanding the dynamic nature of landscapes.
What is erosion?
Erosion is the removal of rock particles and soil from an area
Erosion requires energy to take place
Erosion is driven by gravity
There are 5 distinct agents of erosion:
Rivers/streams Glaciers Wind Wave Action Mass Movement
Erosion in moving water varies greatly within a river, and between rivers. Lighter, less dense sediment is first to be transported by moving water.
Transport of Sediments in Streams
Sediment transport is dependent on 2 variables:
Velocity (speed) of water
Particle size and shapehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpexS4-9IF0
Describing Rock Particle Size
Rock Particles are categorized into 6 types:
Boulders Cobbles Pebbles Sand Silt Clay
*Dissolved minerals are also transported, although they are not visible
Incr
easi
ng S
ize
Quantified Sediment Sizes
Sediment Transport Chart
In general, the chart shows that larger particles require an increased water velocity (speed) to be transported
If water velocity falls below that level, sediment is deposited on the bottom of the riverhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNgjRy4r5-4
Using the Chart
The chart shows average particle diameter (particle classification) and the velocity required to maintain movement of that particle in moving water
Water Velocity and Stream Morphology
Water velocity is not a constant along a river nor is it constant across a transect
Water Velocity and Stream Morphology
Water, for the most part, flows in a straight line and will do so until redirected by the stream channel. Water also over time dictates how the channel changes.
Because this is true, rivers have different channel shapes at different locations
In a straight line path, rivers are fastest in the middle, leaving a channel deepest in the center
As river water enters a curve, the faster water is on the outside causing more erosion and a greater depth
Water slows on the inside of a curve, causing deposition of particles
Stream Meanders
Over time, erosion at the outside of the bend causes the stream channel to drift. When the old channel is cut off, an oxbow lake is formed.
Sorting of Sediments
Faster moving water transports smaller sediments
Therefore, a stream bottom will have larger particles on the bottom in faster moving water and smaller particles on the bottom in slower moving water
Streams deposit rounded, sorted sediments based on water velocity
Rivers Entering Lakes and Oceans
The deposition of sediments at the mouth of a river results in the formation of a delta
The stream flow slows resulting in deposition of largest particles first
Particles such as silt and clay are carried away from the mouth until there is no longer sufficient velocity to transport them
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6p5jXDhDvI
Stream Valley Shape
As streams downcut through soil and bedrock, they create a V-shaped valley
Drainage Patterns
Looking at maps and examining rivers often tells us something about the rock strata beneath. Stream drainage patterns are dictated by:
Differences in elevation
Characteristics of rock layers (resistance to weathering)
Orientation of rock layers (how the rocks are tilted or folded)
Differences in Elevation
Higher elevations with steep slopes result in deep ‘V’ shaped valleys
Level lowlands result in more meanders in the stream
Drainage Topography in Arid Regions
Weathering in dry regions is generally a very slow process. The majority of weathering and erosion takes place in the river channel.
Canyons are common because the canyon walls weather very little over time
Drainage Topography in Humid Regions
Gentler slopes are a result of more rapid weathering of rock
Common occurrence in NYS
Drainage Topography
Drainage patterns match the surrounding landscape and are flowing from high to low elevations
Mate these with an overhead pattern
Glaciers
New York State owes its many unique landforms to the presence of glaciers in the past. Evidence of repeated glacial events surrounds us in western New York. Glaciers are responsible for both erosional and depositional features.
Glaciers form when repeated snowfall accumulates in an area and forms into an ice pack that is able to flow
Types of Glaciers
For our purposes, there are 2 types of glaciers that we are concerned with:
Continental (ice sheet): Spans all or some of a continent
Valley (Alpine): Restricted to a valley
Glacial Presence in NYS
A massive glacier covered New York (most recently around 10,000 years ago), and it is important to understand how it shaped landforms in the area
Glacial Weathering
Abrasion is the dominant form of weathering underneath a glacier
Rocks and other sediment are ground against bedrock as they are dragged overhead
Evidence: We find parallel grooves, called striations, in bedrock that indicate the direction of movement
Glacial Erosion
As glaciers erode a valley, they leave evidence of having been there
Valleys take on a “U” shape
Finger Lakes
Glacial erosion can leave behind a variety of observable features
Finger Lakes are carved out of bedrock in the direction that the glacier moved
Drumlins
Elongated hills called drumlins are also found in areas that have undergone glaciation
The drumlins align with the direction of glacial movement
Erratics
Large boulders that do not match local bedrock type or are found in awkward elevations or places were likely transported there by a glacier
Eskers
Long, winding hills of sediment deposited by streams beneath a glacier
Sediment will be sorted and rounded because it was transported by running water
Kames
Rocky debris that is deposited in crevasses within a glacier to form a hill
Kettle Lakes
When large chunks of the glacier break off and are partially buried, they melt to form a kettle lake
Moraines
Moraines are long hills that are composed of material that a glacier has pushed or pulled along
Rocks in moraines are unsorted and angular (no abrasion in running water)
Outwash Plain
An outwash plain is where many streams (or just a few) flow out of the glacier as it melts. The plain is relatively flat with sorted and rounded sediments due to abrasion in the streams
Cirques, Aretes, Horns
All features found in mountainous areas once covered by glaciers
Horn: Sharp point at mountain peak
Cirque: Bowl-shaped depression caused by abrasion
Arete: Sharp ridge carved out of the mountainside
Wind Erosion and Weathering
Abrasion is the dominant form of weathering in dry climates
Rocks become “sand-blasted” and the particles are blown away
Wind Deposition
Sand and other particles are deposited in dunes
Wave Erosion and Weathering
Abrasion is the dominant form of weathering along beaches
Particles are washed on shore, swept back out, and gradually move in the direction of the current (long shore drift)
Long Shore Current
Long shore currents flow parallel to the beach. This flow steadily drags sediments along the shore in what is called long shore drift.
Mass Movement
The final, though less substantial type of erosion is called mass movement.
Mass movement is the sliding of any rock material or soil downhill as a result of gravity
Some mass movement is slow, and some is sudden
Landslide
Landslide is a commonly used term for the movement of a mass of bedrock or loose soil and rock down the slope of a hill, mountain or cliff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23NZTzpw6cY
Creep
Slow, imperceptible movement of soil down a slope
Slump
Blocks of land that have tilted and moved downhill along a surface that curves into the slope
Mudslides/Flows
Rapid movement of Earth saturated with water
Weathering, erosion, deposition, plate tectonics, folding and faulting all contribute to the beautiful landscapes around us, many of which can be found in New York.
Landscapes Features of NYS
Mountains Plateaus Plains Valleys Ridges Escarpments
Mountains
Mountains are classified as locations that have a much higher elevation than surrounding areas
NYS Example: Mount Marcy (Adirondack Mountains)
The Adirondack Mountains are part of an area which has been uplifted and domed upward and continues to do so. They are not volcanic in origin and are comprised mostly of metamorphic and intrusive igneous rocks.
Other Types of Mountains
Folded Mountains form when compression occurs typically during a tectonic collision
Fault Block Mountains occur when faults (lines of breakage) allow rock on either side to move up or down relative to the opposite side
Plateau
A region characterized by a high, flat area
Some may appear to look like mountains after rivers have cut through them
NYS Example: Allegheny Plateau
Plains
Generally low-lying, flat area
Example: Erie-Ontario Lowlands
Valleys
Valleys can be formed from erosion by rivers, glaciers, in between folds in bedrock, or where a fault block has fallen down.
Valleys are conspicuously lower areas of elevation compared to the surrounding landscape
Ridges
A chain of mountains or hills that form a crest for some distance
Escarpments
Escarpments are long cliffs formed by erosion or faulting
Land is relatively flat on either side
Niagara Escarpment is caused by differential weathering of bedrock
NYS Landscape Map
Use this map to identify major landscape regions in NYS
For example: Which landscape region is Rochester located in?
Answer:__________________________
top related