Weathering Flashcards
What is denudation
Denudation is the process of lowering earths land surface through weathering and erosion reducing elevation and relief
What is Relief
Refers to the difference in height of land on the Earth surface and includes mountains valleys hills and planes
What is the weathering
Is the breakdown of rock soils and materials through the exposure to weather (rain frost ice snow wind) and organisms
Names of the three categories of weathering
Mechanical. Chemical. And biological.
Name the types of a mechanical weathering
Freeze thaw action
Exfoliation
Where does freeze the action occur?
Occurs in areas where temperatures regularly change between freezing and thawing
Occurs in areas of high latitude and altitude
What does latitude mean?
The distance between the north and south of the equator
What does altitude mean?
The height above sea level
Freeze thaw action process
By day water seeps into the joints cracks in the rock
By night the temperature is dropped below freezing point the water freezes and expands. This makes the crack bigger and put strain on the rock.
Every time after repeated freezing and thawing of water and many years the rock split sharp pieces called scree break off they rolled down the mountain and collecting parts at the bottom of the soap
Where is exfoliation occur?
Occurs when rockets peel off due to repeated heating and cooling causing expansion and eventual cracking
Happens in areas where temperatures are very high at daytime and very low at night time
What is chemical weathering?
When rocks are broken down by chemical reactions
Name two types of chemical weathering
Carbonation and oxidation
What is carbonation?
When carbon dioxide weathers rocks like limestone and chalk
How does carbonation happen?
Rainwater mixes with CO2 to create carbonic acid which dissolves calcium carbonate
Limestone can contain up to 95% calcium carbonate
The steps are CO2 + H2O = H2C03 (carbon dioxide + water = carbonic acid
Carbonic acid dissolves calcium carbonate into calcium bicarbonate
What is oxidation?
A chemical weathering process oxygen changes minerals like iron forming rust that weekends and breaks down rocks over time
What are the two types of biological weathering?
Lichen
Karst landscape
What is lichen
Legend is an orgasm made of fungus and an alga it causes biological weathering growing on rocks and producing chemicals that breakdown and dissolves the rocks surface
What is a Karst landscape
Is an area of exposed limestone formed by glaciation its features are formed due to glaciation example buren county Claire
What are the surface features of karst landscape
Limestone pavement
Clint’s and grikes
Swallow hole
What are the subsurface features of a karst landscape
Cave
Stalactites and stalagmites
Pillar (column)
What is a limestone pavement?
Limestone pavement is created when glacier strip away the soil exposing limestone rainwater dissolves the rock forming grooves called grakes and flat slabs called Clints
What is a swallow hole?
Swallow holes form when a river flows into a grike which carbonation and erosion deepen causing rivers to disappear underground
how are stalactites and stalagmites formed
Water with calcium bicarbonate drip into the cave evaporation of water droplets on the ceiling in cave before I leave calcite behind calcite builds up over millions of years forming stalactites and stalagmites when they join it is known as a pillar or a column
What are the advantages of economic impact in the burren
Plenty direct an indirect jobs are created in hotels cafés & eco-tourism’s with 800,000 visitors in the burren in 2024
What are the disadvantages of economic impact in the Burren County Claire?
Most Jobs are seasonal running from April to September with most tourist visots
What are the advantages of social impacts in the burren county Claire
Out of migration for locals is reduced ,as spinoff jobs are created in art craft and wellness industries
What are the disadvantages of social impacts of the burren county Clare
High prices have increased as wealthy people buy holiday homes making it too expensive for locals to buy forcing them to move
What are the advantages of the environmental impact of county Claire burren
Strict planning laws within Geo Park prevent overdevelopment and protect the nacho beauty of the area
What are the disadvantages of environmental impact of the burren County Claire?
Traffic congestion from cars and buses at popular toys attractions like the Cliffs of Moher is a major issue with CO2 emissions lowering air quality
