WfHC - cover page (not to be used with pre-printed report ... - CSIRO

Fluvial Megafan- a large (10 3 -10 5 km 2 ), fan-shaped (in plan view) mass of clastic sediment deposited
by a laterally mobile river system that emanates from the outlet point of a large mountainous drainage
network.
Geologic age- time periods in geology (see Holocene, Pleistocene, Pliocene, Quaternary; Tertiary,
Cenozoic, Cretaceous, Jurassic, Silurian, Devonian)
Holocene- geologic age in the second and most recent epoch of the Quaternary period, which began
10,000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene
Jurassic- geologic age from 190 to 140 million years ago and characterized by an abundance of
dinosaurs and the advent of birds and mammals.
Granite- A usually light-colored, coarse-grained igneous rock consisting mostly of quartz, orthoclase
feldspar, feldspar, and micas. Granite is one of the most common rocks in the crust of continents, and
is formed by the slow, underground cooling of magma.
GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar)- a measurement technique that uses radar (radio waves) to map
below surface sedimentary structures and landforms in detailed two or three-dimensions.
Groundwater- water in the subsurface that saturates the rocks and sediment in which it occurs; the
upper surface of ground-water saturation is commonly termed the water table.
Gully- a small channel or ravine worn in earth or unconsolidated material, such as on into colluvium
on a hillslope or into alluvium on a floodplain, by running water and through which water runs only
after rainfall. It is larger than a rill and smaller than a stream channel. Can be classified as either
colluvial/hillslope gullies or alluvial gullies.
Gully erosion- is the displacement of soil or soft rock particles by running water that forms distinct
small channels that are larger and deeper than rills and that usually carry water only during and
immediately after precipitation.
Hillslope- an inclined landform unit with a slope angle larger than adjacent plains and higher than
vertical walls like cliffs or overhangs. Hillslope are typically associated with adjacent valleys. Gravity
plays a dominant role in hydrologic and geomorphologic processes on hillslopes.
Hydrogeology- the branch of science dealing with the waters below the earth's surface and with the
geological aspects of surface waters.
Hydrology- the branch of science dealing with the occurrence, circulation, distribution, and properties
of the waters of the earth and its atmosphere.
Igneous- rock produced under conditions involving intense heat, as rocks of volcanic origin or rocks
crystallized from molten magma.
Induration- hardening of unconsolidated sediments or rock by chemical precipitation, heat or
pressure.
Infiltration- the seepage of precipitation or surface water into soil or rock.
Interfluve- the higher ground between adjoining valleys or watercourses, especially in a dissected
upland.
Invertebrate- is an animal without a vertebral column.
Isotope- different forms of a chemical element with the same atomic number or number of protons,
but different numbers of neutrons
Kinetic Energy- energy possessed by an object such as water as a result of its motion.
Lacustrine- refers to any feature formed or caused by the processes of a lake.
LANDSAT (Land Satellite or Land Remote-Sensing Satellite)- a long running satellite program
(since 1972) for acquiring moderate-resolution satellite imagery using multiple bands and wavelengths
from numerous instruments and satellites over the years. Resolutions range from 15 to 60 meters; the
temporal resolution is ~16 days.
Laterite- A type of deep weathering profile in which the dominant cement of the duricrust is iron
oxides. The term is also used in a broader sence for all deep weathering profiles.
Working Knowledge at Oriners Station, Cape York
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