Shaping The Earths Crust Flashcards
What is weathering?
Weathering is the breakdown and decay of rocks that are exposed to weather. It takes place in one place and the material is not moved
How does denudation occur
Occurs by weathering and erosion
What is erosion
Erosion is the breaking down of rocks and the removal of the particles. These particles are moved or deposited else where eventually.
What is erosion caused by
Moving air, water, and ice
Wind
Glaciers
Rivers/lakes
Name the two types of weathering
Chemical weathering and mechanical weathering
What is mechanical weathering and what does it cause
It causes the rock to break up into smaller pieces.
Ex:Freeze-Thaw
How does freeze thaw work
Up on a mountain it’s colder the higher up you go. When you get to below zero degrees, water freezes.
When at this temperature, it rains and the rain can rest in tiny cracks in the rock on the mountain. When it freezes it expands and puts pressure on the rock. This repeats over and over untill the piece of rock breaks off because of the pressure and makes smaller pieces of rock called scree. These coolest at the bottom of a slope or just rest beneath where they fell from.
What is chemical weathering
Chemical weathering happens when rocks decay or dissolve because of a chemical change.
Ex:carbonation
Explain carbonation
Carbonation is when rain collects carbon dioxide as it falls through the atmosphere, which mixes with the rain to form a weak carbonic acid. Limestone contains calcium carbonate. When rain hits the rock it reacts with the calcium carbonate and slowly dissolves it.
What is a karst landscape
It’s the land after carbonation has occurred.
Ex: the burren
What is a clint
The left over stone after carbonation. The blocks of stone left unharmed
What is a grike
Cracks in the rock caused by carbonation
Where would you find a stalagmite
On the ground
Where would you find a stalactite
On the ceiling
Name two differences between weathering and erosion
Weathering is the breakdown and decay of rocks and erosion is the decay and the removal of the particles as a result. There are two types of weathering and three causes of erosion.