Weathering Flashcards
What is weathering?
Weathering is the breaking or dissolving of rocks and minerals on the Earth’s surface.
What are the main agents of weathering ?
The main agents of weathering are water, acids, salts, animals and change in tempreture
Name a land mark that has been formed by Weathering & Erosion?
The Grand Canyon , US Arizona
How does Weathering affect the production of soil?
Weathering is often the first step of the production of soils. Tiny bits of weathered minerals mix with plants, animal remains, fungi, bacteria, and other organisms
What are the types of Weathering ?
The types of weathering are chemical, Mechanical/physical and biological weathering can be part of both
What is mechanical Weathering?
Mechanical Weathering causes rocks to crumble
What is mechanical Weathering?
Mechanical Weathering causes rocks to crumble
What is frost weathering?
The freeze thaw cycle or frost weathering is when water seeps into the cracks and crevices of rocks and then when the temperature gets low enough the water will freeze and expand making a wedge as it slowly widens the rock will crumble then this process is repeated and then erosion will erode the tiny rock fragments away.
What is exfoliation/onion skin weathering ?
Onion skin weathering also known as exfoliation is when during the day the temperature rises the outside layers of the rock heat up and expands and as the night comes the temperature falls causing the rock the expanded layers of the rock cool down and contract cracks form on the outer layers of the rock. This cycle continues to widen the cracks in the outer layers eventually causing the outer layers to peel of like an onion the peeled layers are left where they fell off.
A n example of this is the Sugarloaf mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
What is chemical weathering
Chemical weathering is changes in the molecular structure of rocks and soil
What is oxidation ?
Another type of chemical weathering works of rocks that contain iron. These rocks turn to rust in a process called oxidation. Rust is a compound created by the interaction of oxygen and iron in the presence of water. As rust expands, it weakens rocks and helps it break apart.
What is carbonation ?
Carbonation is when carbon dioxide from the air or soil sometimes combines with water in a process called carbonation. This produces a weak acid , called carbonic acid, that can dissolve rock. Carbonic acid is very effective on limestone. When carbonic acid seeps through limestone , it can open up huge cracks or hollow vast networks of Caves. Example - Carlsbad Caverns National Park, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Sometimes chemical weathering dissolves large portions of limestone or other rocks on the surface of the Earth to form a landscape called a karst. In these areas, the surface rock is pockmarked with holes, sinkholes, and caves. Example - The Stone Forest, near Kunming China.
