Weathering Basics
This type of weathering breaks rocks into smaller pieces without changing what they are made of.
Mechanical Weathering
The process of moving weathered material from one place to another is called—
Erosion
The process of dropping sediments after erosion is called—
Deposition
Which famous landform in Arizona was shaped by water erosion?
Grand Canyon
Heavy rain causes rocks to break apart.
This is an interaction between which two spheres?
The atmosphere and Geosphere
A student places a rock in a freezer full of water. The water freezes and expands, cracking the rock. Which process is this?
Mechanical Weathering (Frost Wedging)
The three main natural forces responsible for moving weathered rock and sediment from one place to another.
Wind, water, gravity
Heavy rain washes a mix of large gravel, medium sand, and tiny clay down a steep hillside. As the rushing rainwater hits flat ground and begins to slow down, this is the specific size of sediment that will be dropped first.
The largest and heaviest particles.
The Petrified Forest was preserved by which process first before weathering and erosion?
Deposition (burial in sediment)
Millions of tons of volcanic ash and sulfur dioxide are blasted into the air during an eruption. When this Geosphere event mixes with water vapor in the Atmosphere, it creates this erosive hazard that chemically weathers local rocks.
acid rain
Which factor speeds up chemical weathering the most?
A. Cold and dry climates
B. Hot and wet climates
C. Cold and wet climates
D. Hot and dry climates
B. Hot and wet climates?
In the 1930s, farmers on the American Great Plains plowed up deep-rooted prairie grasses right before a severe drought hit. Without plants to hold the soil, this agent of erosion lifted millions of tons of topsoil into the air, creating the Dust Bowl.
wind
Along the coast of Florida, longshore currents drop massive amounts of sand just off the shore, creating long, narrow islands that protect the mainland from hurricane waves. What are these called?
Sandbars and barrier islands.
Deep, underground cavities and sinkholes formed when acidic groundwater dissolves limestone.
Caves (Karst Formations)
Which is the correct sequence of events?
A. Deposition → Weathering → Erosion
B. Weathering → Erosion → Deposition
C. Erosion → Deposition → Weathering
D. Weathering → Deposition → Erosion
B. Weathering → Erosion → Deposition?
Two rocks are left outside for 50 years. Rock A in Arizona shows little change, while Rock B in Florida is heavily weathered. What explains the difference?
Florida’s hot, wet climate increases chemical weathering.
A satellite photo shows soil moving downhill after heavy rain. Which agent of erosion is shown?
Gravity
Students notice a river entering a lake. Over time, sediment builds up where the river meets the lake.
What is this process called?
Deposition
Students measure the movement of sand dunes in a desert over 10 years. Which agent of erosion is responsible?
Wind
A major river floods its banks, sweeping muddy water across millions of acres of flat farmland. When the water drains away, it leaves behind fresh, nutrient-rich sediment that causes a massive boom in crop growth. Which two spheres affect the biosphere?
hydrosphere and geosphere impacts biosphere
Acid rain dissolving limestone is an example of this type of weathering.
Chemical Weathering
The Grand Canyon was carved mainly by which agent of erosion?
Colorado River
When a river slows down at its mouth, it drops sediments in a fan-shaped area called a—
Delta
Wind erosion is most noticeable in which type of environment?
The desert
A massive wildfire destroys all the trees and deep-rooted shrubs on a steep mountain slope. This is how the destruction of the Biosphere will directly affect the Geosphere the next time it rains.
Erosion will cause a landslide