Earth Sciences 1070A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Silicate Minerals, Amphibole, Parent Material
2 Nov 2016
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Surface of the earth is constantly changing. Volcanic processes generate new rock and landmass, whereas external processes such as weathering and erosion continually break rock down and move material to lower elevations. Weathering term that encompasses a variety of chemical, physical, and biological processes that act to (cid:271)reak do(cid:449)(cid:374) ro(cid:272)ks i(cid:374) pla(cid:272)e (cid:374)ear or at earth"s surfa(cid:272)e. Only the broken down rock products are transported/redeposited by wind, water or ice, they fall into the category of sediments. Weathering processes are typically categorized as: mechanical, chemical. The dominance of one form over the other depends on climate. Rock composition, topography and climate determine what sediments form, the rate of weathering and how the sediments are transported. Mechanical weathering- a process that involves the physical breakdown or disintegration of rocks from large pieces to smaller ones without changing their compositions. Process requires the application of physical stress or force such as water.
