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
