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What is mechanical weathering? Give examples.
What is mechanical weathering? Give examples.
Also known as physical weathering, it includes breaking down rocks into smaller pieces. Examples are jointing, frost wedging, root wedging, salt wedging, thermal expansion, and animal attack.
What is chemical weathering? Give examples.
What is chemical weathering? Give examples.
Why is water such a good solvent?
Why is water such a good solvent?
What are erosion and transport?
What are erosion and transport?
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How do particle size, climate, and parent material control the rate of weathering?
How do particle size, climate, and parent material control the rate of weathering?
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What is spheroidal weathering?
What is spheroidal weathering?
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What is differential weathering?
What is differential weathering?
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What are sedimentary rocks? What are the three types? How do they form? Give examples.
What are sedimentary rocks? What are the three types? How do they form? Give examples.
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What is deposition?
What is deposition?
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What is lithification? How can it occur?
What is lithification? How can it occur?
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What are rounding and sorting? What is meant by a well-sorted or poorly-sorted rock?
What are rounding and sorting? What is meant by a well-sorted or poorly-sorted rock?
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What are the different types of detrital particles and their sizes?
What are the different types of detrital particles and their sizes?
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What is jointing?
What is jointing?
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What is frost wedging?
What is frost wedging?
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What is root wedging?
What is root wedging?
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What is a joint?
What is a joint?
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How can mechanical weathering enhance chemical weathering?
How can mechanical weathering enhance chemical weathering?
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How can chemical weathering enhance mechanical weathering?
How can chemical weathering enhance mechanical weathering?
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What is clastic sedimentary rock?
What is clastic sedimentary rock?
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What is biochemical sedimentary rock?
What is biochemical sedimentary rock?
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What is organic sedimentary rock?
What is organic sedimentary rock?
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What is chemical sedimentary rock?
What is chemical sedimentary rock?
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What are the three main types of depositional environments? Give examples.
What are the three main types of depositional environments? Give examples.
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What are sedimentary facies?
What are sedimentary facies?
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What are marine transgressions and regressions?
What are marine transgressions and regressions?
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What are sedimentary structures? Give examples. What do they tell us?
What are sedimentary structures? Give examples. What do they tell us?
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What is a Banded Iron Formation?
What is a Banded Iron Formation?
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What is metamorphism?
What is metamorphism?
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Where in the world do metamorphic rocks occur?
Where in the world do metamorphic rocks occur?
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Study Notes
Mechanical Weathering
- Also known as physical weathering; breaks down rocks into smaller pieces without altering their chemical composition.
- Includes processes like jointing, frost wedging, root wedging, salt wedging, thermal expansion, and animal attack.
Chemical Weathering
- Involves the alteration of the chemical structure of rocks; examples include hydrolysis, oxidation, and carbonation.
Water as a Solvent
- Water's polar nature facilitates its ability to dissolve many substances, making it a universal solvent.
Erosion and Transport
- Erosion separates rock or regolith from its substrate and carries it away through processes like wind, water, or ice transport.
- The medium's viscosity and velocity determine sediment transportation capacity.
Factors Controlling Weathering Rates
- Particle size affects surface area exposure; smaller particles weather faster.
- Climate influences temperature and moisture balance, affecting weathering rates.
- Parent material composition dictates susceptibility to weathering processes.
Spheroidal Weathering
- A chemical weathering process creating onion-like layers in large rock blocks as joints are worn away, resulting in rounded edges.
Differential Weathering
- Occurs when different rock types weather at varying rates, leading to uneven landscape features.
Sedimentary Rocks
- Formed near Earth's surface through cementation of grains from preexisting rocks, precipitation of minerals, or organic processes.
- Three main types: clastic, biochemical, and chemical sedimentary rocks.
Deposition
- The process where sediment settles out of transporting media, such as water or wind.
Lithification
- Transformation of loose sediment into solid rock through compaction and cementation processes.
Rounding and Sorting
- Rounding refers to the shape of rock fragments, while sorting indicates the uniformity of sediment sizes; well-sorted sediment is uniform in size, while poorly sorted sediment includes a variety of sizes.
Detrital Particles
- Comprise solid fragments of rock; varied sizes influence sediment characteristics and behavior.
Jointing
- A mechanical weathering process where pressure changes from removed overlying rock cause cracks, leading to fragmentation of hard rock.
Frost Wedging
- Mechanical weathering caused by water freezing in cracks; expansion forces joints apart, widening them.
Root Wedging
- Occurs when tree roots grow into rock cracks, exerting pressure and causing fragmentation.
Mechanical vs. Chemical Weathering Interaction
- Mechanical weathering enhances chemical weathering by increasing surface area for reactions.
- Conversely, chemical weathering weakens rocks, making them more susceptible to mechanical weathering processes.
Clastic Sedimentary Rock
- Composed of cemented fragments and grains from preexisting rocks; distinguished by grain size and composition.
Biochemical Sedimentary Rock
- Formed from the accumulation of shells and organic materials in marine environments.
Organic Sedimentary Rock
- Composed of carbon-rich remnants from plant material; includes coal.
Chemical Sedimentary Rock
- Formed from minerals precipitating directly from water solutions, such as limestone and evaporites.
Depositional Environments
- Environments where sediment is deposited, like rivers (fluvial), lakes (lacustrine), and oceans (marine).
Sedimentary Facies
- Body of sedimentary rock characterized by distinctive features indicating a specific depositional environment.
Marine Transgressions and Regressions
- Transgressions denote rising sea levels inundating land areas; regressions mark falling sea levels exposing former seabeds.
Sedimentary Structures
- Features such as bedding, ripple marks, and mud cracks provide insights into past environmental conditions and processes.
Banded Iron Formation
- A sedimentary rock type composed of alternating layers of iron-rich minerals and silica; indicative of ancient marine environments.
Metamorphism
- The process where preexisting rocks undergo changes in mineralogy and texture due to heat, pressure, and chemically active fluid environments.
Occurrence of Metamorphic Rocks
- Found in regions of tectonic activity, such as mountain ranges, subduction zones, and areas affected by significant heat and pressure.
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