Earth and Life Science: Course Material No. 3

These flashcards cover key concepts related to earth processes, weathering, mass wasting, and the effects of internal forces.

What are exogenic processes?

Processes that occur at or near the Earth's surface, driven by energy from the sun, that wear down and reshape the landscape.

What is weathering?

The general term for all processes that disintegrate and decompose rocks.

What is physical weathering?

The breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces without changing their composition.

What is block disintegration?

The process where repeated heating and cooling cause cracks in rocks, leading them to break apart.

What is exfoliation in weathering?

The peeling off of outer layers of rock due to heating.

What is frost weathering?

The process where water enters cracks in rocks, freezes, expands, and splits the rock.

What is chemical weathering?

Weathering that involves chemical reactions that change the composition of the rock.

What is oxidation in terms of weathering?

A reaction where oxygen reacts with minerals in the rock, especially iron, forming rust-like substances.

What is carbonation in weathering?

The process where rainwater combines with carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid which can dissolve rocks.

What role do living things have in biological weathering?

Plants and animals can cause weathering by growing into cracks or burrowing through soil.

What is mass wasting?

The downslope movement of rock, soil, and regolith due to the influence of gravity.

What are the types of mass wasting?

Fall, slide, and flow.

What is soil erosion?

The removal of soil at a faster rate than it can be replaced.

What causes wind erosion?

Wind can pick up fine soil particles and carry them away, especially in dry areas.

What are endogenic processes?

Processes driven by the Earth's internal heat that build up the Earth's surface.

What is volcanism?

The eruption of magma onto the Earth's surface.

What are tectonic forces?

Forces caused by the movement of the Earth's lithosphere plates that create stress on rocks.

What is compressional stress?

Stress that involves squeezing rocks together.

What is deformation in rocks?

The change in shape or size of rocks in response to stress.

What is a normal fault?

A fault where the hanging wall moves down relative to the footwall.

What is a reverse fault?

A fault where the hanging wall moves up relative to the footwall.

What is a transform fault?

A fault where rocks slide horizontally past each other.