EXOGENIC PROCESSES

Solifluction

"soil flow"; when soil is saturated with water the soggy mass may flow down slope at a rate of a few mm or cm per day of per year

Soil Erosion

is a natural process

Exfoliation

a process in which layers or sheets of rock gradually break off

Slumps

a slide of loose debris that moves as a single unit

Mechanical Weathering

breaking up of rocks by physical forces without changing its composition

Chemical Weathering

breaking up of rocks that results to the change in its composition

Mudflow

consists of debris with a large amount of water; often happen in mountain canyons and valleys after heavy rains; also occur on active volcanoes (lahar)

Rock Composition

different kinds of rocks break down ay different rates

Earth Flow

forms a tongue or teardrop shaped mass that flows down slope

Mass Wasting

gravity pulls material downward; can occur suddenly or gradually

Exogenic Processes

include geological phenomena and processes that originate externaly to the Earth's surface; process of weathering, erosion, transportation, deposition, denudation, and etc.

Rock Fall

individual blocks of rock drop suddenly and fall freely down a cliff or steep

Gullies

rills became enlarged

Creep

slowest form of mass movement of soil of debris; moves at a rate of about 1 to 10 millimeters

Sheeting

sometimes called onion-skin weathering

Landslide

spectacular example of mass wasting

Weathering

the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on the Earth's surface

Surface Area

the more rock's surface that is exposed to air and water, the faster the rock will break down

Fall

the movement involves the free falling of detached individual pieces of any size

Sheet Erosion

thin sheets of water

Rills

tiny channels

Differential Weathering

variation in scale

Flow

when material moves downslope as a viscous fluid

Examples of Chemical Weathering

Dissolution and Oxidation

Agents of Weathering

Water, Ice, Acids, Salt, Plants, Animals, and Change in temperature

Slides

Whenever material remains fairly coherent and moves along well-defined surface

Triggering Events of Mass Wasting

Heavy Rain, Over Steepened Slopes, Removal of Vegetation, and Earthquakes

Examples of Mechanical Weathering

Salt-Crystal Formation, Sheeting, Biological Activity

Factors that Affect the Rate of Weathering

Surface Area, Rock Composition, and Climate