What is weathering and erosion

C-shaped landform consisting of a concave rock wall formed by weathering and erosion of subsurface rocks. Also called cryofracturing.

Also called physical weathering. Also called mechanical weathering. The remaining salt is buried by sediments, but eventually pierces through the rock, forming a hill. Also called contour weathering. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

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For example, sedimentary rock shale becomes slate when heat and pressure are added. The more heat and pressure you add, the further the rock metamorphoses until it becomes gneiss. If it is heated further, the rock will melt completely and reform as an igneous rock. Empower your students to learn about the rock cycle with this collection of resources. An element is a substance that cannot be broken down into a simpler format.

They are distinguished by a unique atomic number. The elements are organized by their atomic number in the periodic table, which highlights elements with similar properties. Water is an example of a compound, a mixture of two or more elements, and is created when two hydrogen atoms bond to an oxygen atom.

Use these resources to examine the properties and uses of elements and compounds. Weathering is the process of the weakening and breakdown of rocks, metals, and manmade objects.

There are two main types of weathering: chemical and physical. An example of chemical weathering is acid rain. Caused mostly by the burning of fossil fuels, acid rain is a form of precipitation with high levels of sulfuric acid, which can cause erosion in the materials in which it comes in contact. An example of physical weathering is wind blowing across the desert playas. This process causes rocks to form a specific pyramid-like shape and they are called ventifacts.

Select from these resources to teach about the process of weathering in your classroom. Sedimentary rocks are one of three main types of rocks, along with igneous and metamorphic. Metamorphic rocks start as one type of rock and—with pressure, heat, and time—gradually change into a new type of rock. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom.

Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. Weathering describes the breaking down or dissolving of rock s and mineral s on the surface of the Earth. Water, ice, acids, salts, plants, animals, and changes in temperature are all agents of weathering.

Once a rock has been broken down, a process called erosion transports the bits of rock and mineral away. No rock on Earth is hard enough to resist the forces of weathering and erosion. Together, these processes carved landmark s such as the Grand Canyon, in the U. This massive canyon is kilometers miles long, as much as 29 kilometers 18 miles wide, and 1, meters 1 mile deep. Weathering and erosion constantly change the rocky landscape of Earth.

Weathering wears away exposed surfaces over time. The length of exposure often contributes to how vulnerable a rock is to weathering. Rocks, such as lava s, that are quickly buried beneath other rocks are less vulnerable to weathering and erosion than rocks that are exposed to agents such as wind and water. As it smoothes rough, sharp rock surfaces, weathering is often the first step in the production of soil s.

Tiny bits of weathered minerals mix with plants, animal remains, fungi, bacteria, and other organisms. A single type of weathered rock often produces infertile soil, while weathered materials from a collection of rocks is richer in mineral diversity and contributes to more fertile soil. Without the erosive forces of water, wind, and ice, rock debris would simply pile up where it forms and obscure from view nature's weathered sculptures. Although erosion is a natural process, abusive land-use practices such as deforestation and overgrazing can expedite erosion and strip the land of soils needed for food to grow.

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Paid Content How Hong Kong protects its sea sanctuaries. Organic weathering happens when plants break up rocks with their growing roots or plant acids help dissolve rock. Once the rock has been weakened and broken up by weathering it is ready for erosion. Erosion happens when rocks and sediments are picked up and moved to another place by ice, water, wind or gravity.

Mechanical weathering physically breaks up rock. One example is called frost action or frost shattering. Water gets into cracks and joints in bedrock. When the water freezes it expands and the cracks are opened a little wider.