Mechanical and chemical weathering, erosion processes, and sediment formation.
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- What is mechanical weathering?
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The breaking down of rock into smaller pieces without changing its chemical composition.- What is frost wedging?
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A type of mechanical weathering where water freezes in rock cracks and expands, breaking the rock apart.- What is exfoliation?
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A type of mechanical weathering where sheets of rock peel off due to pressure relief as overlying rock is removed.- What is abrasion?
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A type of mechanical weathering where rock fragments are worn away by friction and collision with other particles.- What is chemical weathering?
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The breakdown of rock by changes in its mineral composition through chemical reactions.- What is hydrolysis?
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A chemical weathering process where water reacts with silicate minerals, breaking them down.- What is carbonation?
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A chemical weathering process where carbon dioxide dissolved in water reacts with rock, especially limestone.- What is oxidation in weathering?
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A chemical weathering process where minerals react with oxygen, commonly turning iron-rich rocks reddish brown.- How does acid rain affect weathering?
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Acid rain (with lower pH from sulfur and nitrogen compounds) accelerates chemical weathering of susceptible rocks.- What is the primary difference between mechanical and chemical weathering?
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Mechanical weathering breaks rock into smaller pieces without changing composition; chemical weathering alters the rock's mineral makeup.- Which rock type is most susceptible to exfoliation?
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Granite and other coarse-grained igneous rocks with large mineral crystals.- Why is water expansion crucial to frost wedging?
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When water freezes, it expands about 9 percent, exerting enormous pressure that widens cracks in rock.- What is regolith?
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A layer of loose rock fragments and soil overlying solid bedrock, produced by weathering.- What is erosion?
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The wearing away and removal of rock and soil by agents such as water, wind, ice, or gravity.- How does water cause erosion?
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Flowing water (streams, rivers, runoff) mechanically wears rock surfaces and chemically dissolves soluble minerals.
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