UNIT 4
TEXT WEATHERING
GRAMMAR REVISION
PRONOUM “IT”; DOUBLE CONJUNCTIONS
Ex.1. Read the following international words and word combinations and give their Russian
equivalents.
Action of agencies; destructive effect; lithosphere; disintegration; bacteria; complex process;
to combine; general groups; operate in nature; intensity of chemical reactions.
Ex.2. Translate the following word combinations paying attention to the words of the same root :
near – A near distance, near the earth’s surface, nearly equal in density
high – A high mountain, high in the sky, highly deformed rock layers
deep – A deep-seated rock, deep in the ocean, deeply altered by metamorphic agents
hard – Hard underlying rocks, hardly visible without a microscope, to work hard
close – A close contact, close to the surface, closely related branches of geology
poor – A poor conductor of heat, poorly supplied with water, poor people
ready – A ready answer, readily dissolved by water
profound – Profound volcanic activity, profoundly modified by metamorphism
uneven – Uneven surface, unevenly distributed on the earth’s surface
Ex.3. Translate the following sentences. Pay attention to different meanings of “it”.
e.g. 1. It is interesting to know everything about the earth on which we live.
Интересно знать все о земле, на которой мы живем.
2. It is geology that gives us some information of the earth.
Как раз геология и дает нам сведения о земле.
3. It is known that our earth is a ball of rocks.
Известно, что наша земля представляет собой «каменный» шар.
4.Look at figure 1. It is a picture of various crystal forms.
Посмотрите на рисунок 1. Это рисунок различных форм кристалла.
5.Mineralogy is a subdivision of geology. It is the science of minerals.
Минералогия – это дисциплина геологического цикла. Она изучает минералы.
1. It is necessary to use some modern tools to make a close investigation of any rock
forming the earth crust.
2. It should be noted that the order of deposition is from bottom upward. It can be
distinctly observed by the microscope.
3. It was not until the late 18th century that geology emerged as a science.
4. It is the change in the velocity of currents as well as other factors that results in
bedding or layering.
5. It is the business of mineralogist to learn the characteristics of minerals.
6. It is clear that mineralogy is an important part of geology.
7. Most of the hard, naturally formed substances of the earth’s crust are referred to as a
rock. It occurs in the form of layers or in irregular masses. It originated in many ways.
8. It is important to note the relative weight of the specimen examined because it often
aids in recognizing the species.
9. It is most common for a given type of rock to possess two or more mineral species
(as granite).
10. It is the science of geology that reveals so much knowledge of the physical world.
11. It was Newton who first showed that because of the earth’s daily rotation, its matter
is affected not only by inward gravitation, but also by an outward centrifugal force.
12. It is the process of deposition that produces sedimentary rocks.
Ex.4. Fill in the blanks with the double conjunctions: “both…and”, “either…or”,
“neither…nor”, such as. Translate the sentences.
1. Historical geology deals… with the sequence of events brought about by the
operation of the physical processes,… with the history of the long procession of life
through the ages.
2. Cleavage flakes of mica are … flexible … elastic.
3. They could find … any plant … animal remains in the rock sample.
4. … igneous … sedimentary rocks can be transformed into metamorphic rocks.
5. Molten materials can be … thrown up to the surface … can solidify deep
underground.
6. … water … solid earth is a good conductor of heat.
Ex.5. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Pay attention to the underlined words.
1. The high velocities of steep streams especially when in flood, make their current
almost irresistible.
2. The metamorphic rocks are, on account of their complicated nature and origin,
difficult, if not impossible, to classify satisfactorily.
3.
The discovery of a favourable structure does not, of course, guarantee that oil will
be found. On the other hand, the absence of surface indications is no proof that oil
will not be found; it may also mean that oil, if there, is sealed so efficiently that it
cannot escape.
4. The work of solution accomplished by a stream flowing over a hard igneous rock like
granite is less effective because the quartz in this rock is little, if at all, affected.
5. The question often arises as to what effect, if any, variations in reservoir properties
have on the amount of hydrocarbon reserves present.
Ex.6. Translate the following sentences. Pay attention to preposition “through”.
1. Underground water returns to the surface through springs and seepages.
2. In plants water is evaporated through leaves.
3. Oil is transported through pipelines.
4. Rocks through which water passes freely are called pervious.
5. Minerals can be identified through X-ray diffraction, spectrographic and thermal
analyses.
WORDS TO THE TEXT “WEATHERING”
1. crumble v.
крошить(ся)
To crumble is to break apart into lots
of little pieces.
2. decay v.
гнить, разлагаться
Organic substances are slowly decaying
under the action of natural chemical
processes.
decay n.
3. destruction n.
разложение
разрушение
The floods brought death and destruction
to the area.
destructive a.
разрушительный
a destructive storm
4. crevice a.
щель, расщелина
Small creatures hide in the rock crevices.
5. loss n.
потеря
loss of interest; loss of control
6. disrupt v.
подрывать, нарушать
Climate change can disrupt the agricultural
economy.
7. wedge n.
клин
V-shaped piece of wood; to drive a wedge
between two people.
8. namely adv.
именно, то есть
Three students were mentioned, namely
John, Steve and Sylvia.
9. distinguish v.
различать, отличать
The boys were so much alike that it was
impossible to distinguish the one from the
other.
10. feldspar n.
полевой шпат
11. precise a.
точный, аккуратный
syn.-exact
precise measurement
13. simultaneously adv.
одновременно
In nature different processes may often
occur simultaneously.
Ex.7. Read the text and 1) Find the sentences with “it”
and analyze them.
2) Name the agents of weathering.
WEATHERING
It has been found that all the materials of the outer, or crustal, portion of the earth are subject
to change. Under the action of the weather and other more or less closely related agencies,
even the hardest and most resistant rocks crumble or decay in the course of time.
The destructive effect of the atmosphere on the lithosphere is called weathering. The
disintegration of rocks is effected through the action of external agencies such as wind, rain,
temperature changes, plants and bacteria.
It is the atmosphere that is the most important factor in the complex set of processes called
weathering, the atmospheric gases and temperature changes being the most significant agents.
Additional help in the weathering processes comes from water and chemicals dissolved in it,
and, to a less extent, from light and organisms. The various agents may work together or may
be combined in carrying on weathering. For example, water in rock crevices, through sufficient
loss of heat and drop of temperature, will freeze, expand, and disrupt the rock through the force
of wedging. Such weathering requires two agents, namely, water and temperature change.
Broadly considered, there are two general groups of weathering processes – one mechanical,
and the other chemical.
In mechanical weathering the rock breaks up or crumbles with little or no change in the
composition of the material. It is essentially a physical process of disintegration. Chemical
weathering is mainly brought about by the action of substances dissolved in rain water. They
are acidic in character. Rocks which are exposed to the oxygen and carbon dioxide of the
atmosphere change in chemical composition.
In chemical weathering the composition of rock or mineral matter is more or less altered
during its breaking up. It is essentially a process of decay or decomposition.
Although the processes of disintegration and decomposition may be thus distinguished,
nevertheless they commonly operate together in nature.
The presence of micro-organisms in the upper layers of the earth crust increases the intensity
of chemical reactions. Thus, according to V.I. Vernadsky, feldspar undergoes weathering only
when bacteria participate in the process. When water and carbon dioxide are the only agents,
weathering hardly affects feldspar. Organisms alter rocks both mechanically and chemically.
It is often very difficult, if not impossible, to draw a precise line between different types of
weathering as in nature they usually act simultaneously.
Ex.8. Find in the text from Ex.7
a)
Synonyms
Part, to alter, decomposition, bring about, significant, degree, different, unite, enough, to
need, widely, chiefly, to differentiate, to be subjected, exact.
b) Antonyms
Inner, internal, contract, rise, absence, simple, similar, to heat.
Ex.9. Translate the following paying attention to the different meanings of the underlined words.
Hard rock – hard work, solution of limestone – solution of the problem; source of
minerals – river source; river bed – rock bed; one degree Centigrade – to a
considerable degree; a mountain range – a large range of sizes – to range widely in
size; modern means of investigation – this means that…; the subject of great interest –
the subject of the sentence – in regions subject to earthquakes; a drop of acid – a
sudden drop of temperature; hundreds of square miles in extent – to be modified to a
great extent; periods of cold weather – to weather rather rapidly; the most common
minerals present in such rocks – in the present century – at present – to present some
interesting features; close contact – close examination – close to the poles; only in
sedimentary rocks – the only representative of the group.
Ex.10. Translate the following word combinations:
Erosion –resistant rocks; more easily erodible rocks; colorless substances; commonly
occurring in regions subject to earthquakes; closely related phenomena; loosely consolidated
sediments; sufficiently resistant to erosion; the naturally formed mineral matter; wind-laid dust
deposits; loosely packed and poorly cemented deposits; alternating layers of hard and soft rock;
wind-built sand hills; much richer in quartz than any nearby source rock; well-rounded uniformly
sized grains of quartz; a layer of disintegrated rock formed by weathering; thin layers of
alternating fine and coarse material; deposits composed of mechanically derived fragments; any
other similarly displaced body.
Ex.11. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words given in brackets and translate the
sentences into Russian.
1.
The freezing of water in . . . and . . . in rocks . . . the disintegration of the rocks, for water
in freezing . . . about one-eleventh of its . . . and exerts great pressure. (expands, pores,
brings about, cracks, volume).
2. This pressure is . . . to . . . soft rocks . . . by partial . . .. (decay, weakened, sufficient,
disrupt).
3. Highly porous rocks such as sandstones, whose pore space commonly . . . .from 10 to 30
per cent, are . . . in this way and so are jointed rocks in whose . . . ice . . . form.
4. Rocks are subject to . . . when they are heated and to . . . when they are
cooled.(contraction, expansion).
5. . . . , or chemical weathering, is the term for . . . of rock that is accompanied by . . . in
chemical and mineralogical . . . (changes, composition, decay, decomposition).
6. Rocks are . . . by alternate . . . and cooling. The heat of the sun . . . the surface layers of
the rocks; cooling . . . them to contract.(causes, affected, heating, expands).
7. Rocks which are . . . to the oxygen and carbon dioxide of the atmosphere . . . in chemical .
. . Iron in the rocks combines with oxygen, forming iron oxide. Other minerals join with
oxygen or carbon dioxide. Thus the rock is . . . or “broken up”.(decomposed, exposed,
change, composition).
Ex.12. Translate the following word combinations into English.
1.под действием факторов выветривания; 2.при существующих условиях; 3.под
вымышленным(assumed) именем; 4.по существующей классификации; 5.под
руководством; 6.под заголовком.
Ex.13. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. Под действием выветривания происходит разрушение пород.
2. При данных условиях выветривание становится более разрушительным.
3. Под действием больших давлений зерна песка уплотняются.
4. При существующей классификации различают три основные группы пород.
5. Под защитой растительного покрова породы более устойчивы к разрушению.
Ex.14. Translate the following sentences into English. Use the double conjunctions
“both…and; either…or; neither…nor”.
1. Растения и животные как прямо, так и косвенно влияют на разрушение пород.
2. Известно, что дождевая вода оказывает либо механическое, либо химическое
воздействие на породы земной коры.
3. Ни состав, ни строение горных пород не являются однородными.
4. При определенных условиях и магматические, и осадочные породы могут быть
преобразованы в метаморфические.
5. Метаморфические породы образуются как из осадочных, так и из магматических
пород.
Ex.15. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. Все вещества, составляющие внешнюю часть земной коры, подвержены
воздействию различных атмосферных факторов.
2. Под действием этих процессов с течением времени происходит разрушение даже
самых твердых и устойчивых пород.
3. Действие различных атмосферных факторов, вызывающих разрушение и распад
пород, называется выветриванием.
4. Выветривание может быть двух видов.
5. При механическом выветривании вещества разрушаются под действием
температурных колебаний (изменений), морозного выветривания и различных
организмов.
6. При химическом выветривании горные породы растворяются и химически
разлагаются под действием атмосферных факторов.
7. Атмосферными факторами, как известно, являются дождевая вода, ветер,
морозное выветривание, а также животные и растения.
Ex.16. Answer the following questions.
1. What is referred to as weathering?
2. What are the agents of weathering?
3. What are the types of weathering processes?
4. What is the difference between chemical and mechanical weathering?
5. What is the role of micro-organisms in the process of weathering?
6. Can you draw a precise line between mechanical and chemical weathering?
Ex.17. Give a heading to the following text.
Wind is an important geological agent of erosion and transportation of rock material, but it is
less effective than running water.
Wind is a significant agent of gradation. Its work is mainly twofold: a)erosion and
b)deposition. Wind erosion is mostly of two types – deflation and corrosion. Both, of course,
accomplish removal and transportation of rock material, but the first is done without the aid of
tools, whereas the second requires the assistance of grinding materials.
Winds not only erode, transport, and deposit rock materials, but also stir up waves and
shore currents which in turn become effective and important agents of gradation.
Ex.18. Read the text, divide it into logical parts and make a summary of it.
Weathering and Erosion
The processes of weathering and erosion are going on continually all over the world.
Weathering is related to the surface of the lithosphere because it takes place where rocks, air
and water come together. Weathering causes much rock material to be broken up and
decomposed. It is a static process. On the contrary, erosion is a dynamic process; it requires
transportation of the rock waste to a new location. The loosening and carrying away of rock
debris by moving agents operating at the surface is called erosion. Indeed, weathering, erosion
and deposition are the three main factors in an endless cycle of rock change: weathering
prepares the rock for transportation by decomposing and disintegrating it; erosional agencies
transport the material to a different locality (for example, the ocean), and there deposit it in
strata which then may be cemented into rock. This rock may then be raised above sea level to
the air and the rains, and again weathered and eroded to start a new cycle.
Ex.19. Translate the following text in writing. Use a dictionary.
Rate of Weathering
The rate of weathering depends upon the nature of the rocks and the kinds and conditions of
the weathering agents which operate upon them. It is a matter of common knowledge that many
stone buildings and monuments show marked effects of weathering. An excellent case in point
is Westminster Abbey in London which was built of weak, rather porous stone in the 13-th
century. Many of the outer stones are badly weathered; some of its ornamental parts have been
reduced to shapeless forms. Many of the exterior carvings of soft limestones of the Louvre in
Paris are also badly weathered. Inscriptions on many tombstones and monuments only one or
two centuries old are often nearly or quite illegible, due to weathering.
Weathering is, however, much less rapid in the case of hard, resistant rocks. Thus, even the
polished surface of a very resistant rock, like granite or quartzite, may be preserved for many
years, although exposed to very changeable weather conditions. There are ways of estimating
that many of thousands of years are required for enough weathering to develop a soil a few feet
thick from a hard rock like granite.
Ex.20. Render the text in English.
Под действием тепла и холода, воды и живых организмов горные породы
разрушается. Днем солнце нагревает горные породы, а вы знаете, что при нагревании
тела расширятся. Ночью, наоборот, происходит сильное охлаждение, и породы
сжимаются. В результате изменения температур на поверхности пород образуются
трещины. В эти трещины попадает вода. При кристаллизации вода расширяется и
расширяет трещины. В результате горные породы раскалываются на части.
Процесс разрушения горных пород под воздействием внешних сил называется
выветриванием.
Выветривание может быть связано не только с резким изменением температуры.
Минеральный состав пород изменяется в результате взаимодействия между породой и
газами воздуха: кислородом, углекислым газом и др. водные растворы тоже воздействуют
на горные породы. Растения и животные также выделяют растворы, разрушающие
горные породы и минералы.
Выветривание представляет собой геологический процесс разрушения пород.
Ex.21. Agree or disagree with the following statements and give your reasoning.
1. Weathering is a universal work of atmosphere.
2. Only sedimentary rocks are subjected to weathering.
3. Water is a purely chemical agent of weathering.
4. It is easy to draw a line between mechanical and chemical processes of weathering.
5. Weathering is a surface process.
Ex.22. Speak on:
1. The effect of weathering.
2. Mechanical weathering.
3. Chemical weathering.
4. The difference between chemical and mechanical weathering.
5. Agents of weathering.