Geomorphology Glossary

Mechanical wearing of rock surfaces by friction from sediment carried by water, wind, or ice.

Unconsolidated sediment deposited by flowing water, typically found on floodplains, deltas, and alluvial fans.

The lowest elevation to which a stream can erode its channel, ultimately sea level for ocean-bound rivers.

A bowl-shaped depression carved into a mountain by glacial erosion, often containing a tarn after ice retreat.

The slow, continuous downslope movement of soil and rock fragments under gravity, often imperceptible over short periods.

A landform created by deposition of sediment at the mouth of a river where it enters a standing body of water.

The overall lowering of a land surface by weathering, erosion, and mass wasting acting together.

A streamlined, elongated hill of glacial till shaped by the flow of ice over the ground, with its long axis parallel to ice movement.

A steep slope or cliff formed by faulting or differential erosion, often separating two relatively flat surfaces.

A flat area adjacent to a river channel that is periodically inundated during high-flow events and built from overbank sediment deposition.

A stream that has reached a balance between its sediment supply and transport capacity, resulting in a smooth, concave-up longitudinal profile.

The state of gravitational equilibrium between the lithosphere and asthenosphere, causing crustal uplift or subsidence in response to loading or unloading.

A type of topography formed by the dissolution of soluble rocks, characterized by sinkholes, caves, and underground drainage.

A sharp change in slope along a river's longitudinal profile, often marking a zone of active erosion caused by a base-level fall or resistant rock layer.

Fine-grained, wind-deposited silt, often derived from glacial outwash or desert surfaces, forming thick, fertile mantles over large areas.

A sinuous curve or loop in a river channel formed by the river's lateral erosion on the outer bank and deposition on the inner bank.

A ridge or mound of unsorted glacial sediment (till) deposited at the margins or terminus of a glacier.

A broad, flat area of stratified sand and gravel deposited by meltwater streams flowing from the front of a glacier.

The layer of loose, unconsolidated material covering bedrock, including soil, weathered rock fragments, and organic matter.

A mode of sediment transport in which particles are bounced along a surface by wind or water in a series of short hops.

A quantitative accounting of sediment inputs, storage, and outputs within a defined landscape unit.

The slow downslope flow of waterlogged soil over an impermeable substrate, common in periglacial environments where permafrost prevents drainage.

A river terrace formed by lateral erosion that cuts a flat bench into bedrock, later left elevated as the river incises further.

The line of deepest points along a river channel, roughly following the path of maximum velocity.

The in-situ breakdown of rocks and minerals by physical, chemical, and biological processes at or near the Earth's surface.