Module 7 - Sedimentary Processes and Products Flashcards
Where are all rocks formed?
Below the Earths surface
What happens when rocks are uplifted near the surface?
They are exposed to the conditions. Temperature, pressure and chemical conditions are different from those where they were formed. When this happens, rocks change.
What is weathering?
The in Situ chemical alteration, mechanical and biological breakdown of rocks by the exposure to the atmosphere, water and organic matter.
What is carbonation?
The reaction between carbonic acids and minerals
What is hydrolysis?
The reaction between minerals and water, causing the minerals to decompose
What is exfoliation?
It occurs when sheets of rock split off due to differential expansion and contraction of minerals during diurnal heating and cooling
What is frost shattering?
Caused by the expansion of freezing water in fractures which forces rocks apart
What is pressure release?
The expansion and fracturing of rock due to removal of overlying rocks
What does chemical weathering involve?
The all involve water, they produce ions that are removed in solution leaving an insoluble residue, usually clay minerals.
