Weathering Flashcards
(19 cards)
What is a Coastline
A Place where the land meets the sea
Name 3 processes how Material broken down at the coast?
- Weathering
- Mass Movement
- Erosion
What is Weathering
The break down of rock where it is.
i.e. on a beach
What is Mass Movement
The downhill movement of material pulled down by gravity
What is erosion?
The wearing away of land by a moving agent - THE SEA
What are the 3 types of weathering
- Mechanical Weathering
- Chemical Weathering
- Biological Weathering
What is Mechanical Weathering?
causes PHYSICAL CHANGE to the rock SHAPE
What is Chemical Weathering
causes CHEMICAL CHANGE to the rock STRUCTURE (holes, making it weaker)
What is Biological Weathering
PLANTS AND ANIMALS weaken rock structure
What is an example of the Mechanical Weathering process?
- Water enters a crack in the rock
- Water then freezes and expands. Makes the crack wider
- Ice melts and water goes deeper
- Repeats until rock splits
What soft rocks are affected by water?
Clay and Shales
What does EXPAND mean?
Gets Bigger
What does CONTRACT mean?
Gets Smaller
What is an example of Wetting & Drying Process?
- As softer rock gets wet, it expands
- When it gets dry it contracts
- This creates cracks
- The sea spray to penetrate the rock making it unstable
What can happen if softer rocks become unstable?
Landslides
Describe the process of Chemical Weathering
- Carbon Dioxide in the air dissolves in water.
- This makes the water slightly acidic
- This weak acidic solution can dissolve some types of rock
Name types of rock that can be dissolved by acid rain or water
Limestone & Sandstone
Describe the process of Biological Weathering
- Roots enter small crack in rock
- When roots grow, crack gets
larger - Rocks break away
- Also animals nesting/burrowing
What is the Term used for collapsed cliffs or Landslides?
Mass Movement
