5/1/07
Weathering and Erosion Essential
Knowledge and Skills
This provides a list of Essential Knowledge and Skills that the student must master in
order to be successful taking the Virginia SOL Test that will be administered at the end of
the course.
The student should check off each line item as their knowledge level is achieved. If at ANY
TIME the student is having difficulty understanding the material, it should be brought to
my attention immediately so that the difficulty can be overcome.
Virginia Standard: ES.8 b
The student will investigate and understand geologic processes including plate
tectonics (plate tectonics should not be covered in this unit)
Key Concepts:
b. processes (faulting, folding, volcanism, metamorphism, weathering, erosion,
deposition, and sedimentation) and their resulting features. (Faulting, folding,
volcanism & metamorphism should not be covered in this unit)
Virginia Standard: ES.9 a, b, c, d, e, f
The student will investigate and understand how freshwater resources are
influenced by geological processes and activities of humans.
Key concepts:
a. processes of soil development; and
b. development of Karst topography.
c. identification of groundwater zones including water table, zone of saturation, and
zone of aeration;
d. identification of other sources of freshwater including aquifers with reference to the
hydrologic cycle;
e. dependence on freshwater resources and the effects of human usage on water
quality; and
f. identification of the major watershed systems in Virginia including the Chesapeake
Bay and its tributaries.
Essential Knowledge/Skills
This section has been taken directly from the SOL Framework and contains
information and skills that teachers are required to teach and students must
master to be successful on the state SOL tests.
Knowledge: ES.8
g. Weathering is the process by which rocks are broken down chemically and
physically by the action of water, air, and organisms.
h. Erosion is the process by which Earth materials are transported by moving
water, ice, or wind.
i. Deposition is the process by which Earth materials carried by wind, water, or ice
settle out and are deposited.
Knowledge: ES.9
a. Soil is loose rock fragments and clay derived from weathered rock mixed with
organic material.
b. Karst topography includes features like caves and sinkholes.
c. Karst topography forms when limestone is slowly dissolved away by slightly
acidic groundwater.
d. Where limestone is abundant in the Valley and Ridge province of Virginia, karst
topography is common.
e. Permeability is a measure of the ability of a rock or sediment to transmit water or
other liquids.
f. Water does not pass through impermeable materials.
g. Geological processes, such as erosion, and human activities, such as waste
disposal, can pollute water supplies.
h. The three major regional watershed systems in Virginia lead to the Chesapeake
Bay, the North Carolina Sounds, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Skills: ES.9
a. Interpret a simple groundwater diagram showing the zone of aeration, the zone
of saturation, the water table, and an aquifer.
b. Interpret a simple hydrologic cycle diagram, including evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, and runoff.
c. Locate the major watershed systems on a map (Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico,
and North Carolina Sounds).
Essential Understandings
This section has been taken from the SOL Framework. It is important that
teachers and students have a complete understanding of all of the concepts
listed.
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Weathering, erosion, and deposition are inter-related processes.
Soil is formed from the weathering of rocks and organic activity.
Karst topography is developed in areas underlain by carbonate rocks including
limestone and dolomite.
A substantial amount of water is stored in permeable soil and rock underground.
Earth’s fresh water supply is finite.
Water is continuously being passed through the hydrologic cycle.
Fresh water is necessary for survival and most human activities.
Vocabulary
aquifer – permeable rocks containing water
carbonate rocks – rocks composed of carbonate minerals, including limestone and
dolomite
cave – an underground hollow
chemical weathering – when a rock's composition is altered and broken down by acids
in the environment
coastal plain – the youngest province in Virginia; the land from the fall line eastward to
the Atlantic Ocean; a landform that is broad, flat area along a coastline; also called
a lowland
condensation – the change from water vapor to liquid water
deposition – the process by which products of erosion are laid down
dolomite – a sedimentary rock very similar to limestone in both structure and origin; a
carbonate with the formula MgCaCO3
erosion – the process by which Earth materials are carried away and are deposited by
wind, water, gravity, or ice
evaporation – the process by which a liquid becomes a gas
ground water – water located underground in the zone of saturation
hydrologic cycle – the water cycle, the never-ending movement of water from one part
of the hydrosphere to another, including evaporation, transpiration, condensation,
precipitation, and sublimation
impermeable – describes a rock material through which water does not easily pass
Karst topography – a landscape that develops from the action of groundwater in areas
of easily soluble rocks characterized by caves, underground drainage, and sinkholes
limestone – a sedimentary rock composed of calcium carbonate
permeability – the rate at which a fluid can move through a material
physical weathering – natural processes that takes big rocks and turn them into small
rocks or sediments (rain, wind ice-wedging etc.)
precipitation –water that falls to Earth’s surface from the atmosphere as rain, snow,
hail, or sleet
runoff – precipitation that flows across a land surface as drainage
sediments – particles of rock or organic materials that have been carried along and
deposited by water, wind, or glaciers; small pieces of rock, shell, and other material
that are broken down by the processes of weathering
sedimentation – the process by which sediments are deposited
sinkhole – funnel-shaped depressions that result from the dissolution of limestone along
cracks and joints, causing the collapse of a cave or cavern roof
soil – a mixture of weathered rock and decayed organic material
Valley & Ridge – long parallel ridges and valleys to the west of the Blue Ridge
Mountains which are part of the major landform feature of North America – the
Great Valley which stretches from New York to Alabama, a region of Karst
topography
tributary – a large stream or small river that flows into an area’s main river
water – the liquid state of H2O
watershed – all of the land or area that drains into a specific river system
water table – the upper surface of a zone of saturation
water vapor – the gaseous state of H2O
weathering – breaking down of rocks and other material at the Earth’s surface
zone of aeration – the underground region where the pores are filled mostly with air
zone of saturation – the underground region where all of the pores are filled with water
Additional Related Vocabulary
The following terms are related to this unit and may be taught to help develop
a better understanding of the topic.
acid rain – general term used for precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, hail, or fog) that is
more acid than normal
area – the amount of surface area within a set of boundaries
artesian well – a well in which water is under pressure due to the weight of the
overlying column of water in the aquifer
bay – a body of water partially enclosed by land but with a wide outlet to the sea
cavern – a large underground space
clastic – sedimentary rock formed from fragments of previously existing rocks
deforestation – the removal of forests, mostly by people who are clearing land for
farming or construction
delta – a fan-shaped deposit that accumulates when a moving body of water loses its
velocity
desalination – a process by which salts are removed from seawater to produce fresh
water
dripstone – calcium carbonate deposited from solution as water enters a cave through
the zone of aeration; forms stalactites, stalagmites, and other cave deposits
elevation – height above sea level
geologic map – map that shows features relating to the geology of an area such as rock
formations, soil, or time period of rocks
gulf – a large area of a sea or ocean partially enclosed by land
horizon – a layer of soil
humus – material formed from decayed organic matter; found in topsoil
infiltration – the seepage of precipitation into the earth
land fills – an area of land that is excavated and filled with waste
meander – a loop-like bend in a stream’s path
old river (stream) – a river or stream that flows very slowly down a gradual slope, often
meandering through a broad floodplain that it has made including swamps, bayous,
oxbow lakes, yazoo streams, distributaries, and a delta
oxbow lake – a lake that forms when a meander is cut-off from the main stream
porosity – the amount of open space in a substance
profile – a silhouette of the elevations along a given or base line
rapids – turbulent stream water flowing down a steep gradient, but not as steep as in a
waterfall, or over boulders in the stream
river – a large natural stream of water emptying into a large body of water, such as a
lake or ocean, and usually fed along its path by converging tributaries
rock – solid substance composed of one or more minerals
sandstone – a clastic sedimentary rock in which the particles are dominantly of sand
size, from 0.062 mm to 2 mm in diameter
sea level – the level of the surface of the sea midway between the average high and low
tides
sedimentary rock – rock formed by the compacting and cementing of sediments or by
other non-igneous processes at the Earth’s surface
shale – a mudstone that splits or fractures easily
smog – thick brownish haze formed when hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and other
gases react in sunlight; combination of the words smoke and fog sound – a long wide
ocean inlet
spring – a place where ground water flows naturally from the ground; an intersection
between the ground surface and the water table
transpiration – the process by which water escapes from the leaves of plants back to the
atmosphere
volume – the amount of space an object takes up; the amount of water in a river or
stream
well – a hole or pipe leading from the surface to below the water table; a source of
ground water
young river (stream) – a river or stream that flows swiftly down a steep slope or valley
with steep sides, causing rapid erosion