WEATHERING, EROSION, DEPOSITION- EarthSci Flashcards
Is the wearing away of rocks. Can be chemical or mechanical.
Weathering
Mechanical Weathering definition.
Process by which rocks are broken down into smaller pieces by physical forces.
Types of Mechanical weathering.
-Ice Wedging
-Temperature changes (Freezing/Thawing)
-Plant roots
-Abrasions
-Burrowing of Animals (Animal Action)
Chemical Weathering definition.
The process that breaks down rocks through chemical changes.
Agents of chemical weathering.
- Water (Dissolves rocks)
- Oxygen (Oxidation when combined with iron)
- Carbon dioxide (Dissolves in water to form carbonic acid)
- Living organisms (Plant roots secrete acids)
- Acid Rain (From burning fossil fuels)
What is the product of oxidation?
Rust
The process when iron combines with oxygen in presence of water.
Oxidation
2 Factors that determine the rate of weathering?
-Rock Type
-Climate
A landscape created by chemical weathering of limestone. It is located in rainy regions where there is limestone near the surface, characterized by sinkholes and caves.
Karst Topography
The movement of sediment by water, wind, or ice.
Erosion
Water Erosion-Rivers
Rivers and streams carries and moves sediments resulting to mechanical weathering.
Water Erosion-Waves
When waves shape the coasts by transporting sand, mechanical weathering occurs.
Wind Erosion
Winds can move rock particles away which can lead to dust storms.
Ice Erosion
When a glacier flows over the land, it picks up rocks in a process called Plucking.
Erosion by Gravity
Gravity causes sediments to move downhill.
