Weathering, Erosion , &

Deposition
The Wearing Down and Building Up of Earth
 WEATHERING, EROSION, &
DEPOSITION
• Performance Indicator:
8.E.5A.1 Develop and use
models to explain how the
process of weathering, erosion,
and deposition change surface
features in the environment.
 WEATHERING
• Weathering is any process
that breaks down rocks and
creates sediments.
• There are two forms of
weathering, chemical and
mechanical (physical).
 CHEMICAL WEATHERING
• Chemical weathering is
decomposition of rock caused
by chemical reactions resulting
in formation of new
compounds.
 EXAMPLES OF CHEMICAL
WEATHERING
• the process that breaks down rock through
chemical changes.
• The agents of chemical weathering:
– water- water dissolves rock over time
– oxygen- combines with iron to form rust (oxidation)
– carbon dioxide- dissolves in water to form carbonic
acid
– living organisms- plant roots secrete acids
– acid rain- from the burning of fossil fuels
 Water
• Water weathers rock by dissolving it.
 Oxygen
• Iron combines
with oxygen in
the presence of
water in a
processes
called
oxidation.
• The product of
oxidation is
rust.
 Carbon Dioxide
• CO2 dissolves in
rain water and
creates carbonic
acid.
• Carbonic acid
easily weathers
limestone and
marble.
 Living Organisms
• Lichens that grow on rocks produce weak
acids that chemically weather rock.
 Acid Rain
• Compounds from burning coal, oil and gas
react chemically with water forming acids.
• Acid rain causes very rapid chemical
weathering.
 2 factors that determine the rate
of weathering:

• rock type- Rock that is permeable (has

holes that let water in), weathers faster than
rock that is impermeable. The mineral
content of rock also determines how fast a
rock weathers.

• climate- Rock weathers faster in warm,

humid climates.
MECHANICAL WEATHERING

• Mechanical (physical)
weathering is the
breakdown of rock into
smaller pieces.
 Mechanical Weathering
• Process by which rocks are broken down
into smaller pieces by physical forces.
• Types of Mechanical weathering
– Ice wedging
– Plant roots
– Abrasion
– Burrowing of animals (animal action)
– Temperature changes (freezing and
thawing)
ICE (Frost) Wedging
Plant Roots
 ABRASION
• mechanically
weathered by
abrasion.
• Abrasion is
weathering by
grinding action.
These mountains in Salt Lake City,
Utah, were also weathered by
abrasion.
Abrasion
Animal Action (Burrowing)
How decomposers enrich soil and make it fertile: mechanical weathering.

Chipmunks live
in dens in the
soil and search
the litter for
seeds and nuts.

Plant roots break up

the soil and hold it in
place.
Earthworms
break up the soil,
making it easier
for plant roots to
spread and for
air and water to
enter the soil.
They create
waste which
makes soil more
fertile by adding
nitrogen.
Bacteria are
decomposers
that break down
animal and plant
remains and
wastes.
Freezing and Thawing
(temperature changes)
 Erosion
•Erosion is the removal of rock
particles from a location.
•Caused by water, wind, ice, or
gravity.
 EROSION
• Erosion is the process by which
natural forces move weathered
rock and soil from one place to
another. Gravity, running water,
glaciers, waves, and wind all
cause erosion. The material
moved by erosion is sediment.
GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA
 WATER EROSION
Water sources such as rivers, streams,
ocean tides, and runoff can move rock
particles away....
 Water Erosion-Rivers
• Rivers and streams carry sediment.
As the sediment moves mechanical
weathering occurs.
• Through water erosion, rivers create
waterfalls, flood plains, and valleys.
 Water Erosion-Waves
• Waves- waves
shape the
coasts by
transporting
sand. While
the sand is
moved,
mechanical
weathering
occurs.
• Waves create
sea stacks,
caves, arch,
and wave-cut
cliffs.
 Erosion by Runoff
• As water from
precipitation (rain,
snow, etc.) moves
over the land, it
carries particles
with it. The moving
water is called
runoff.
• Runoff creates rills
and gullies.
 WIND EROSION
Sometimes the wind can move rock
particles away: this can lead to dust
storms!
 WIND EROSION

• Wind Erosion creates

dust storms, hoodoos,
and arches.
 Ice Erosion

As a glacier
flows over the
land, it picks up
rocks in a
process called
plucking.
 Ice Erosion
Ice erosion
creates:
U-shaped
valleys,
glacial
lakes,
moraines,
drumlins,
and kettle
lakes.
 Ice Erosion
Ice erosion
creates:
U-shaped
valleys,
glacial
lakes,
moraines,
drumlins,
and kettle
lakes.
 Think about it….
• Water is NEEDED by all living things to
survive.
– How does water change the planet?
 Erosion by Gravity
•Gravity
causes
sediment to
move
downhill.
•It creates:
landslides,
mudflows,
and creeps.
 DEPOSITION

• Deposition occurs when

the agents (wind or water)
of erosion lay down
sediment.  Deposition
changes the shape of the
land.
 Deposition
Deposition is the
adding of sediment in
an area as it settles
out and forms new
landforms. In this
picture, taken in
Squaw Creek, near Sisters, Oregon, rocks have
been deposited along the bank of the river
after heavy rains.
 Deposition
• In this picture, also
taken in Squaw
Creek, a sandbar has
been formed by
sediment that has
been washed down
the river. This might
also be considered a
spit.
 Deposition
• In this picture, salt has
been deposited in the
Great Salt Lake, Utah.
You can see the salt
deposits. They appear
as white areas on the
edge of the water.
 Landforms
• http://www.classzone.com/books/
earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/
es1205/es1205page01.cfm?
chapter_no=visualization
• Erosion, weathering, and deposition
are at work everywhere on Earth.
Gravity pulls everything toward the center
of Earth causing rock and other
materials to move downhill. Water’s
movements (both on land and
underground) cause weathering and
erosion, which change the land’s
surface features and create
underground formations.
 The effects of these processes
are as follows:
  Changes in shape, size, and texture of landforms
(i.e. mountains, riverbeds, and beaches).
  Landslides
  Buildings, statues, and roads wearing away.
  Soil formation
  Washes soil, pollutants, harmful sediments into
waterways.
  Causes metals to rust
  Reduces beaches, shorelines.
  Forms new landforms.
THE BREAK DOWN ACTIVITY
SHEET
• Weathering, Erosion , &
Deposition: The Wearing
Down and Building Up of
Earth
 Analyze your learning…
Compare the relationship between
weathering and erosion to the relationship
between convergent and divergent
boundaries.
 Rate your learning….
• Where are you on the generic learning
scale (0-4) with:
– Understanding erosion?
– The difference between weathering and
erosion?
– Understanding how weathering and
erosion work together?
 Weathering and Erosion work
together continuously to wear
down and carry away the rocks
at the Earth’s surface!!!!!

END - Erosion
 Deposition
•Deposition is the process in which
sediment laid down in new locations.
•Caused by water, wind, ice, and
gravity.
 Think about it…
• What needs to happen before deposition
can occur?
• Why did we study deposition last in our
weather, erosion, & deposition mini unit?
 Rate your learning….
• Where are you on the generic learning scale
(0-4) with:
– Understanding deposition?
– The connection between weathering,
erosion, and deposition?
– Understanding why deposition was studied
AFTER weathering and erosion?