Chapter 6 - Weathering Flashcards
Define weathering.
The breakdown of rock, often by the forces of the weather.
Define mechanical weathering.
Weathering where rocks are broken apart by frost and plants.
Define chemical weathering.
Weathering where chemicals in the rock are changed and dissolved.
Define erosion.
The wearing away of rock, the transportation of that rock and its deposition.
Name two forms of mechanical weathering.
Freeze-thaw action and exfoliation.
Explain how exfoliation works.
The outer layer of rock is heated during the day and it expands. The rock then contracts during the cold nights. This continues day after day, and eventually the outer layer of rock cracks away from the inner layers.
Define denudation.
The wearing away of the surface of the earth.
List the features of a karst landscape.
(a) Swallow holes.
(b) Stalagmites.
(c) Stalactites.
(d) Caverns.
(e) Limestone pavement.
(f) Bedding planes and joints.
Name the category of rock to which limestone belongs.
Sedimentary.
Name a location where limestone pavement is found.
The Burren, Co. Clare.
Define clints.
The blocks in limestone pavement.
Define grikes.
The gaps in limestone pavement.
Name one process that helped to form limestone pavement.
Chemical weathering.
Stalagmites stand up straight from the ground. True or false?
True.
Stalactites stand up straight from the ground. True or false?
False.
