difference between weathering and erosion Weathering and erosion are geological processes that act together to shape the surface of the Earth. In simple terms, weathering is a set of processes that break solid rocks into fragments. Erosion is a group of processes that involve running water, blowing wind, or moving ice that picks up and moves these fragments to a different location. Weathering can be divided into two categoriesÂphysical (also called mechanical) weathering and chemical weathering. Physical weathering includes any process that breaks rocks into fragments. These processes may include breaking the rock by collision with other rocks, fracturing caused by release of pressure as material is removed by erosion from above, growth of ice crystals in fractures, and growth of plants, which extend their roots into fractures and pry the rocks apart. Chemical weathering occurs when water from rainfall, streams, lakes, or oceans, or oxygen from the atmosphere chemically react with the minerals in rocks to produce new minerals that are more stable at the low temperatures and pressures near the EarthÂs surface, or in some cases, where the minerals completely dissolve as a result of contact with water. The end products of chemical weathering are the minerals that make up soils, such as clay minerals, quartz, and iron and aluminum oxides and hydroxides. Basically, weathering takes large pieces of rock and breaks them down to fragments that can more easily be transported by water, wind, and ice. Erosion refers to a group of processes that shape the landscape by wearing down the surface by moving fragments of rocks to lower elevations. The main erosional agents are flowing water, as in rivers and ocean waves, blowing wind, and flowing ice, as in glaciers, all of which are influenced by the force of gravity constantly acting to pull things from higher elevations to lower elevations. Weathering and erosion act together to shape the surface of the Earth into mountains, valleys, plains, and other features that make that surface an interesting and beautiful place to live. difference between weathering and erosion Weathering and erosion are geological processes that act together to shape the surface of the Earth. In simple terms, weathering is a set of processes that break solid rocks into fragments. Erosion is a group of processes that involve running water, blowing wind, or moving ice that picks up and moves these fragments to a different location. Weathering can be divided into two categoriesÂphysical (also called mechanical) weathering and chemical weathering. Physical weathering includes any process that breaks rocks into fragments. These processes may include breaking the rock by collision with other rocks, fracturing caused by release of pressure as material is removed by erosion from above, growth of ice crystals in fractures, and growth of plants, which extend their roots into fractures and pry the rocks apart. Chemical weathering occurs when water from rainfall, streams, lakes, or oceans, or oxygen from the atmosphere chemically react with the minerals in rocks to produce new minerals that are more stable at the low temperatures and pressures near the EarthÂs surface, or in some cases, where the minerals completely dissolve as a result of contact with water. The end products of chemical weathering are the minerals that make up soils, such as clay minerals, quartz, and iron and aluminum oxides and hydroxides. Basically, weathering takes large pieces of rock and breaks them down to fragments that can more easily be transported by water, wind, and ice. Erosion refers to a group of processes that shape the landscape by wearing down the surface by moving fragments of rocks to lower elevations. The main erosional agents are flowing water, as in rivers and ocean waves, blowing wind, and flowing ice, as in glaciers, all of which are influenced by the force of gravity constantly acting to pull things from higher elevations to lower elevations. Weathering and erosion act together to shape the surface of the Earth into mountains, valleys, plains, and other features that make that surface an interesting and beautiful place to live.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 13:25:39 +0000
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