Weathering and Erosion

Weathering and Erosion

• Weathering is the process of decomposing, breaking up, or changing the color of rocks.
• Erosion is the movement of rocks and sediment that have been broken apart through weathering.

Types of Weathering

• Chemical weathering: causes changes to the minerals inside or on the surface of a rock through chemical reactions.
• Mechanical weathering: caused by frost, ice, moving water, or heat from the sun, examples include water seeping into a rock and freezing, expanding, and breaking the rock.
• Biological weathering: occurs when plants, animals, and other living organisms cause larger rocks to break into smaller pieces, examples include worms and tree roots.

Erosion

• Erosion is the process of moving smaller pieces of rock left over after weathering by natural forces.
• The three main causes of erosion are water, wind, and ice.
• Water can cause erosion through rain, rivers, waves, and floods, and can carry particles along the way.
• Wind can pick up and carry loose particles and dust, causing erosion through abrasion.
• Ice, in the form of glaciers, can move and shift, causing erosion.
• Gravity can also cause erosion, such as through landslides or rock slides.
• Living organisms, including humans, can cause erosion through their actions.

Deposition

• Deposition is the process of sediments, soil, and rocks being added to a landform or land masses.
• It marks the end of the erosion process and can result in the formation of a new landform.

Weathering and Erosion

• Weathering is the breakdown of rocks, leading to changes in their composition, color, or structure.
• Erosion is the transportation of weathered rocks and sediment through natural forces.

Types of Weathering

• Chemical weathering: involves chemical reactions that alter the minerals within or on the surface of rocks.
• Mechanical weathering: occurs due to physical forces, such as frost, ice, moving water, or heat from the sun, causing rocks to break apart.
• Biological weathering: results from the actions of living organisms, such as plants and animals, that cause rocks to fragment.

Erosion

• Erosion is the process of moving weathered rocks and sediment through natural forces, including water, wind, ice, and gravity.
• Water erosion: occurs through rain, rivers, waves, and floods, and can carry particles along the way.
• Wind erosion: involves the pickup and transport of loose particles and dust, causing abrasion.
• Ice erosion: occurs through glaciers, which move and shift, causing erosion.
• Gravity erosion: occurs through landslides or rock slides.
• Human-induced erosion: results from human activities, such as deforestation, mining, or construction.

Deposition

• Deposition is the process of adding sediments, soil, and rocks to a landform or land mass, marking the end of the erosion process.
• Deposition can lead to the formation of new landforms.