Exo and Endo

• What are exogenic processes?

  Processes that wear away Earth's surface
• Why are exogenic processes considered destructive?

  They cause degradation and sculpting of the surface
• What are the four types of exogenic processes?

  1. Weathering
  2. Erosion
  3. Mass Wasting
  4. Deposition
• What is weathering?

  Physical disintegration or chemical alteration of rocks
• What are the types of physical weathering?

  1. Exfoliation
  2. Ice wedging/Frost action
  3. Temperature Changes
  4. Salt Wedging
  5. Abrasion
• What happens during exfoliation?

  Soil and rock removal exposes deep rock
• How does ice wedging work?

  Water freezes in cracks, expanding and breaking rock
• What effect do temperature changes have on rocks?

  They cause minerals to expand and contract
• Where is temperature change weathering most common?

  In desert climates with extreme temperature fluctuations
• What is salt wedging?

  Salt crystals grow in rock cracks, weakening them
• Where is salt wedging most effective?

  In coastal and semi-arid environments
• What is abrasion?

  Wearing away of surfaces by transported materials
• What are the types of chemical weathering?

  1. Hydrolysis
  2. Hydration
  3. Oxidation
  4. Carbonation
• What occurs during hydrolysis?

  Rock chemicals interact with water to form solutions
• What is hydration in weathering?

  Mineral bonds change as they interact with water
• What is oxidation?

  Oxygen combines with substances to form oxides
• How does carbonation occur?

  Water mixes with carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid
• What are the types of biological weathering?

  1. Roots of Plants
  2. Microbial Activity
  3. Animal Burrowing
• How do plant roots contribute to weathering?

  Roots penetrate and rupture rocks in search of nutrients
• What role does microbial activity play in weathering?

  Microorganisms produce acids that erode rocks
• How does animal burrowing affect rocks?

  Animals create fissures and absorb nutrients from rocks
• What is erosion?

  Removal and transportation of surface material
• What are the agents of erosion?

  1. Water
  2. Ice
  3. Wind
  4. Gravity
• What is the primary agent of erosion on Earth?

  Liquid water
• How do glaciers contribute to erosion?

  They transport and grind rocks as they move
• How does wind act as an agent of erosion?

  It transports dust, sand, and ash
• What role does gravity play in erosion?

  It causes materials to move downhill
• What is mass wasting?

  Rapid erosion influenced by gravity
• What are the classifications of mass wasting?

  1. Rock fall
  2. Landslides
  3. Debris and mudflows
  4. Creep
  5. Slump
• What occurs during a rock fall?

  Rock dislodges and falls due to potential energy change
• What are landslides?

  Mass wasting events where weathered materials slide down
• What causes debris and mudflows?

  Heavy rain produces runoff that transports materials
• What is creep in mass wasting?

  Slow downhill movement of soil and rock fragments
• What is a slump?

  Collapse and rotation of rock or soil downhill
• What is deposition?

  Laying down of transported sediment after erosion
• What are endogenic processes?

  Geological processes beneath Earth's surface
• What drives endogenic processes?

  Internal heat from radioactive decay
• What are the types of endogenic processes?

  1. Magmatism
  2. Volcanism
  3. Metamorphism
• What is magmatism?

  Formation of magma beneath Earth's surface
• What is volcanism?

  Eruption of magma and gases onto the surface