Mechanical Weathering
The breaking down of rocks by physical processes
Mechanical weathering
The breaking down of rocks by chemical processes
chemical weathering
What type of rock weathers the fastest?
Sedimentary
The downhill movement of rocks and soil due to gravity
mass wasting
the removal and transport of material by wind, water, or ice
Erosion
How are sea arches formed?
Waves weather away at the bases of cliffs along a shore
The result of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide reacting in the atmosphere with water and returning to the earth by precipitation
Acid Rain
The surface features of a region are called
Topography
Name the two forms of slow mass wasting
soil creep & earthflow
State the difference between weathering and erosion
Weathered material stays in one place Eroded material moves
Give an example of how living things contribute to mechanical weathering
Tree roots can get into cracks of rocks
a chemical change that occurs when a substance combines with oxygen
Oxidation
What is the greatest factor in the rate of weathering?
Climate
the rapid downhill movement of a large amount of rock and soil
Landslide
When the mouth of a river valley becomes submerged by ocean water, it forms a wide, shallow bay called a(n)
Estuary
Explain how ice wedging occurs
Water gets into cracks in rocks, then freezes, the ice expands causing the crack to widen
The breaking down of compounds by a reaction with water
Hydrolysis
Explain how the amount of rock that is exposed to the elements contributes to the rate of weather
Rocks that have more surface area exposed experience the effects of the elements (wind and water) more than rocks that have less surface area exposed
The loose layer of soil and rock in a mass wasting occurence
Regolith
What is a channel?
The path a stream follows
This occurs in hot climates where rocks expand and contract
exfoliation
What two things does carbonation form within caverns?
Stalactites and stalagmites
The mineral in igneous and metamorphic rock that is most resistant to weathering
Quartz
Name two events that can cause a landslide
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or heavy rains
What are divides
ridges and other elevated regions that separate watersheds