ESC1000 Chapter 4 Weathering and Erosion
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Created by:
thumpaholden Plus on October 14, 2009
Subjects:
earth science, Fatherree, Weathering, soil and mass wasting
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22 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 weathering | the physical and or chemical breakdown of rocks at or near the earth's surface |
| mass wasting | the movement of rock and or sediment down slope due to gravity |
| erosion | the removal of material by wind, water and or ice |
| mechanical weathering | breaking rocks down in to smaller pieces without changing the mineral composition |
| chemical weathering | Breaking rocks down into different substances, e.g. by dissolving it |
| numerous small impacts | How rain mechanically weathers rock |
| impact | How wave activity mechanically weathers rock |
| sand blasting | How wind mechanically weathers rock |
| frost wedging | Weathering rock through repeated cycles of freezing and thawing |
| unloading | Removing overlying rock from a rock, which allows the underlying rock to expand and break apart, often resulting in sheeting or exfoliation domes |
| Stone Mountain GA | Example of an exfoliation dome resulting from the unloading mechanism of erosion. |
| biological activity | Weathering primarily by plants that can break up or dissolve materials |
| oxidation | Adding oxygen to water can result in weathering of some materials, like rusting iron. |
| dissolution | Weathering by acids, such as carbonic acid (adding carbon dioxide to water creates a weak acid that can slowly breakdown limestone and feldspar. |
| mass wasting | Type of erosion involving movement of rock and or sediment down slope. |
| slump | Type of erosion involving downward sliding of loose material as a unit - usually in soil, not in rock |
| earth flow | Type of erosion, very slow moving of well-consolidated material that moves as a unit |
| rock slide | Type of erosion, the rapid movement of rock down slopes |
| debris flow or mud flow | type of erosion, the rapid movement of soil or rock containing a large amount of water; often occurs in dry areas where there is little vegetation to hold things together. |
| lahar | Type of erosion: debris flow on the sides of volcanoes |
| creep | Type of erosion: movement of rocks caused by freezing and thawing, which lifts and then drops earth. |
| solifluction | Type of erosion, "soil creep" that occurs where there is permafrost |
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