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Chapter 13: Problem 31

What is scarification, and why is it considered a type of mass movement? Give several examples of scarification. Why are humans a significant geomorphic agent?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Scarification is the geological wearing away of the earth's surface by natural phenomena like water, wind, or ice, and is considered a mass movement as it involves the transfer of materials in large quantities. Examples include soil erosion from rain, glacier movement, and wind erosion in deserts. A geomorphic agent is a natural or living entity that can change the earth's landscape. Humans are significant geomorphic agents because their activities like deforestation, construction, and mining cause large-scale landscape changes and erosion.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Scarification

Scarification is a geological process in which the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of water, wind, or ice, usually due to natural phenomena like rain, snow, wind, temperature changes etc. It's considered a 'mass movement' because it carries away rocks, soil and other material in large quantities from one place to another.
02

Examples of Scarification

Examples of scarification can include processes like soil erosion caused by rain, the movement of glaciers that scrape the earth below them, and wind erosion in desert areas. These represent the movement or transfer of surface material from one place to another en masse.
03

Understanding 'Geomorphic Agent'

A 'geomorphic agent' refers to any natural phenomenon or living being that has the ability to change the physical features of the earth's surface. This includes rivers, wind, glaciers, and even living creatures like humans.
04

Humans as a Significant Geomorphic Agent

Humans are considered a significant geomorphic agent due to their massive impact on the earth's landscape. This is seen in activities such as deforestation, agriculture, mining, construction, and other forms of landscape modification. These human activities disturb the natural arrangement of the earth's surface, causing erosion and other geomorphic changes on a large scale.

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