Video: Weathering and Erosion
Definitions
Rock Cycle: The complex set of natural processes that result in the
formation of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic results.
Weathering: The natural breakdown of solid rock into smaller
fragments through chemical, physical, and biological processes.
Physical Weathering: A form of weathering characterized by the
mechanical disintegration of rock into smaller fragments but not
involving chemical change.
Frost Wedging: A form of physical weathering caused by cycles of
freezing and thawing of water in pores or cracks of rocks.
Chemical Weathering: A from of weathering involving chemical changes
that decompose rocks and produce new substances.
Soil: Earth materials made from weathered rock and biologic matter in
which land plants can grow.
Erosion: The loosening, wearing away, and transport of soil and rock
fragments by gravity, running water, ice, or wind.