Weathering and Erosion

- Wind
- water
- ice
-gravity

Weathering - breakdown of the materials of Earth’s crust into smaller pieces

Physical Weathering
- rocks break into pieces
- changes size and shape
- their composition stays the same
- simply, the breakdown of rocks

Agents of weathering
Water
Wind
Ice

Abrasion - when ice, water,or wind causes sediments to have collisions physical weathering results

Wind abrasion - similar to sandblasting and can slowly weather the rock down
- occurs in arid environments
- note the lack of soil and angular rock features

Water Abrasion - occurs in moist and humid climates

- water produces rounded fragments as the sediments are rolled and bounced along the stream
bottom

Glacial Abrasion - occurs when sediments are trapped within the ice and scrape against the bedrock
- forms striations in the rock (scratches)
- glaciers are found in cold climates - high altitudes - latitudes

Erosion - the process by which water, ice , wind or gravity moves fragments of rock and soil
- is the movement of sediment
- is gradually wearing down the surface of the earth
- is the process by which weathered rock and soil (sediment) are moved from one place to another
- carves the Earth’s surface creating canyons, gorges and even beaches

Wind Erosion - as teh wind blows, it picks up small particles of sand/sediment and blasts large rocks
with the abrasive particles, cutting and shaping the rock.
- has the greatest impact in deserts, creating sand dunes
- removes fertile topsoil

The intensity of wind erosion is determined by:

Sum (amount of wind)
Speed
Slope (yung dadaanan)
Surface

Water Erosion
- found in runoff, rivers and streams
- creates most of the changes in the Earth’s landscape
- when rain falls to the Earth, it can evaporate, sink into the ground or flow over the land as Runoff.
When runoff flows over land, erosion occurs
- Runoff picks up pieces of rock and “runs” downhill cutting tiny grooves called Rills into the land.
How much erosion takes place in water erosion is determined by
Sum (amount)
Slope
Speed
Surface

Ice Erosion
- Glaciers can wear down the landscape by picking up and carrying debris that moves across the land
along with the ice
- glaciers can pick up and carry sediments that ranges in size from sand grains to boulders bigger than
houses
- moves like a conveyor belt and bulldozer
- a single glacier can move millions of tons of materials

How much ice erosion takes place is determined by

Sum (how massive the glacier is)
Slope
Speed
Surface (where it moves)

Gravity Erosion (mass movement/Mass wasting)

- can move large land mass

Mass wasting - refers to the movement of large masses of materials down slope or a streep-sided hill
or mountain due to the pull of gravity

Fall - occurs when materials located in a steep slope

Avalanche - most rapid moving type of mass wasting where loose materials move incoherently or in
chaotic fashion
Flow - movement of materials when they become saturated with water
Slide - move the materials as one following a near straight line down the slope
Slumps - a slow movement of soil along a curved surface. In time the area would look curved because
of the depression formed.

Different types of mass movement/mass wasting

Creep, Slump, Landslides, Mudslides, and Avalanches

Creep - the slowest and the most unnoticable, takes time to notice

Landslides - large masses of soil and debris sliding down a steep surface

Mudslides - when soil is saturated with water. With saturation it becomes viscous

Avalanches - occurs in icy areas, the fastest

How much erosion takes place is determined by the

Sum ( how much material or debris )
Slope
Sped
Surface

Plants can also cause weathering

Plant Action or Biological Action - with plant growth the root system will increase in volume and
cause cracks in teh rock to expand
Lichens - are primary soil producers creating conditions for larger plant growth, helps trees and plants
to grow more

Plants can prevent erosion

Deposition - rock particles that are picked up and transported during erosion will ultimately be
deposited somewhere else
- is the process by which sediments (small particles of rock) are laid down in new locations

Together, erosion and deposition build new land forms such as:
- deltas
- canyons
- meanders
- floodplains
Chemical Weathering - when agents of weathering chemically change the composition of a rock

AGENTS OF CHEMICAL WEATHERING

1. Oxidation - oxygen combines with minerals to form oxides. (Rust)

2. Hydration - when minerals absorb water and chemically change the composition of the material

3. Carbonation - when pollutants like carbon dioxide, nitrogen and sulfuric oxides mix with rain water
creating acid rain, which can dissolve limestone and harm, the living environment

4. Water - is unique and dissolves most minerals and metals in our environment.
- universal solvent
- it makes the possibility of weathering as it can break down rock. Going through the rock, it breaks
the rock and the molecules of the rock itself.