27.1 Flashcards
Define weathering
The process that involves the phyiscal or chemical breakdown of materials on earth’s surface.
Define soil
A mixture of weathered rock, organic matter, water, and air that is capable of supporting plant life.
Define erosion
The removal of surface material through the process of weathering.
Define sediment transport
When gravity moves eroded materials from one place to another.
Define deposition
When the erosion agent slows down or melts, it drops this sediment load.
Define drainage basin
The land area that gathers water for a major river.
Define long-shore current
The movement of water parallel to the shoreline.
Define weathering
The process of physical or chemical breakdown of materials at or near
Earth’s surface.
Do rocks weather at the same rate?
no
What are the two main factors that determine how fast a rock will weather?
Rock type and Landscape
What are the two types of weathering?
Mechanical and chemical
What type of change happens with mechanical weathering?
physical change
What type of change happens with chemical weathering?
chemical change
What are the 3 speific types of mechanical weathering?
Frost wedging, collisions, biological activity.
What causes frost wedging?
Occurs when water collects in the cracks of rock and then freezes.
What is the cycle called during frost wedging?
Freeze-Thaw Cycles
What causes biological activity?
Plants and Animals
what causes weathering during collisions?
When rocks fall from a cliff or tumble through turbulent rivers.
What are the 2 types of chemical weathering caused by?
Oxygen and Water
What is the chemical process called that is caused by oxygen?
Oxidation
What is the chemical process called that is caused by water?
Hydrolysis
Define Soil
A mixture of weathered rock, organic matter, water, and air that is capable of supporting life.
What is parent material?
The material from which soil forms.
What are soil horizons?
The different layers of soil.
