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Earth Science WEDL vocab

Terms in this set (43)

Physical weathering
the breakdown of rock without changing its chemical composition
Frost action
when water freezes in a crack in the rock, the crack gets bigger and expands (potholes)
Biological action
critters and plant roots burrow through rocks
Abrasion
when sediments are in a river and they bumb into eachother, rounding out the sediments
chemical weathering
the breakdown of rock while changing the chemical composition
Hydration
When minerals in a rock interact with the hydrosphere (froming caves, caverns or sinkholes)
Oxidation
when iron in a rock interacts with oxygen in the air (rust)
Humus
dark, organic material that forms in soil when plant and animal matter decays
Transported soil
soil that was brought in to the area by an agent of erosion
Residual soil
soil that forms from the rock below the surface
Erosion
the removal of sediment
Mass movement
caused by gravity; pulling rocks downhill
Deflation
when wind carries away loose sediment and lowers the Earth's surface
Sandblasting
when wind blows sand or silt against other rocks causing the rock to appear pitted (golf ball)
Striations
lines or scratches on rock surfaces
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