Weathering and Erosion
Weathering
1. Two types of Weathering – Mechanical and Chemical
2. Mechanical Weathering – when __________ are broken apart by a __________ process. This
________________ change the make up of the _______________.
3. Chemical Weathering – when ____________ reactions ____________ the minerals in rocks,
or ____________ them into different ______________.
4. 7 Factors of Mechanical Weathering
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
5. Once ________________________ breaks down the rocks, more and more
____________________ is exposed, and then more areas get ________________. This speeds
up the process of ________________.
6. Chemical Weathering is caused by ____________________.
7. Once the Acid Rain falls….
It ________________ the _______________ in the rock
This ______________ the rock and _____________ it down
Eventually it turns into a clay like substance in the end called ____________
Common in some soils (Georgia), the clay is an end product of ___________
8. Many caves are a result of chemical weathering. The _____________________ wears away
at ____________ the main mineral in limestone. This causes the rock to change _________ and
_________, and over thousands of years it causes __________ to form in spectacular ways. The
____________ or ____________ causes the minerals to breakdown into liquid form, and then
slowly ___________ causing _______________ and ________________.
9. Plants can also produce ________ from their roots and when they decay. This will
____________ minerals in rock and weakens the rock. Eventually the _______ will break into
smaller pieces, and the process speeds up.
10. Oxygen is another major factor in chemical weathering. ___________ aides in the process
of weathering by means of __________________. When metallic materials are exposed to
______________ and ___________ for long periods of time, rusting takes place.
11. Climate matters too! Hot and cold dry areas have less ___________________, and are more
likely to have __________________________. Warm wet climate promotes
______________________ because of increased _______________ to the rain.
12. The type of ________ affects the rate that _______________ takes place. Some rocks
__________ faster than others, and the type of climate affects different types of __________
differently. When rocks _________ and break down, this is the beginning of the formation of
soil. The two most important factors that affect weathering are _________________ and
_________________.
Erosion
1. Erosion is the ______________ of rocks, sediment, and soil.
2. The main agents of erosion are __________, __________, __________, and ___________.
3. Deposition is simply where ________________ stop moving, or are ________________.
4. Deposition is responsible for the build up of ___________________________.
5. Wind erosion can happen from ___________________ or ____________________.
6. Mild winds do not have much effect on the ___________________, but heavy winds can
form ______________ and _______________________.
7. Water erosion is anything from ____________________, to rivers and the oceans can cause
erosion by water.
8. Water’s erosive power has shaped much of the ___________________________________.
9. Major areas of beauty such as the __________________ have been shaped by water erosion.
10. Glaciers are _________________________ of ice that can be the size of entire continents.
11. Glaciers used to cover much of earth’s __________ during ice ages; now about 10% of
earth’s land is covered by ___________ (Antarctica and Greenland).
12. Many ___________ move very slowly, and as they do, they carry ____________ with them.
13. Many glaciers are _____________________, and are sometimes referred to as “Ice Rivers.”
14. As these glaciers move and cut their way through the __________, they leave a “U” shape
behind. U shaped valleys are ___________________ of past glaciers.
15. Gravity is a ____________ force between two objects.
16. All objects on earth are being pulled towards the ____________________.
17. Because of this force, __________ flows towards the __________, people don’t fly off the
earth, and _____________ and ___________ sometimes slide downward.
18. Examples of gravity –