CHAPTER 15 GEOGRAPHY 1
Charmaine Farrah Estacio
Geography 1
Dr. Thomas Orf
11th November 2014
ASSIGNMENT: CHAPTER 15
PRELIMINARIES TO EROSION: WEATHERING AND MASS WASTING
KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS:
1. What is meant by denudation?
The total effect of all actions (weathering, mass wasting, and erosion) that lower the surface of the continents.
2. Distinguish among weathering, mass wasting, and erosion.
Weathering- The physical and chemical disintegration of rock that is exposed to the atmosphere.
Mass Wasting- The short-distance down slope movement of weathered rock under the influence of gravity; also called mass movement.
Erosion- is the detachment, removal and transportation of fragmented rock material.
3. What roles do rock openings play in weathering processes?
Whenever bedrock is exposed, it weathers. Weathered rock often has a different color or texture from neighboring unexposed bedrock. Most significant from a topographic standpoint, exposed bedrock is likely to be looser than the underlying rock. Blocks or chips maybe so loose that they can be detached with little effort. Sometimes pieces are so “rotten” that they can be crumbled by finger pressure. Slightly deeper in the bedrock, there is firmer, more solid rock, although along cracks or crevices weathering may extend to considerable depths. In some cases, the weathering may reach as much as several hundred meters beneath the surface. This penetration is made possible by open spaces in the rock bodies and even between the mineral grains. Subsurface weathering is initiated along these openings, which can be penetrated by such weathering agents as water, air, and plant roots. As time passes, the weathering effects spread from the immediate vicinity of the openings into the denser rock beyond.
4. What is difference between a joint and a fault?
Joints- Cracks that develop in the bedrock due to stress, but in which there is no appreciable movement parallel to the walls of the joint.
Fault- A fracture or zone of fracture where the
Geography 1
Dr. Thomas Orf
11th November 2014
ASSIGNMENT: CHAPTER 15
PRELIMINARIES TO EROSION: WEATHERING AND MASS WASTING
KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS:
1. What is meant by denudation?
The total effect of all actions (weathering, mass wasting, and erosion) that lower the surface of the continents.
2. Distinguish among weathering, mass wasting, and erosion.
Weathering- The physical and chemical disintegration of rock that is exposed to the atmosphere.
Mass Wasting- The short-distance down slope movement of weathered rock under the influence of gravity; also called mass movement.
Erosion- is the detachment, removal and transportation of fragmented rock material.
3. What roles do rock openings play in weathering processes?
Whenever bedrock is exposed, it weathers. Weathered rock often has a different color or texture from neighboring unexposed bedrock. Most significant from a topographic standpoint, exposed bedrock is likely to be looser than the underlying rock. Blocks or chips maybe so loose that they can be detached with little effort. Sometimes pieces are so “rotten” that they can be crumbled by finger pressure. Slightly deeper in the bedrock, there is firmer, more solid rock, although along cracks or crevices weathering may extend to considerable depths. In some cases, the weathering may reach as much as several hundred meters beneath the surface. This penetration is made possible by open spaces in the rock bodies and even between the mineral grains. Subsurface weathering is initiated along these openings, which can be penetrated by such weathering agents as water, air, and plant roots. As time passes, the weathering effects spread from the immediate vicinity of the openings into the denser rock beyond.
4. What is difference between a joint and a fault?
Joints- Cracks that develop in the bedrock due to stress, but in which there is no appreciable movement parallel to the walls of the joint.
Fault- A fracture or zone of fracture where the