Erosion and Deposition

ES Module 5

Weathering

The breaking down of rocks and other materials on the Earth's surface.

mechanical weathering

The type of weathering in which rock is physically broken into smaller pieces

frost wedging

Process that splits rock when water seeps into cracks, then freezes and expands.

Exfoliation

The process by which outer rock layers are stripped away

chemical weathering

The process that breaks down rock through chemical changes

oxidation

A chemical change in which a substance combines with oxygen, as when iron oxidizes, forming rust

erosion

The process by which wind, water, ice, or gravity transports soil and sediment from one location to another

deposition

Process in which sediment is laid down in new locations.

rill erosion

erosion in which water running down the side of a slope carves a small stream channel

gully erosion

When a channel becomes deep and wide

soil

A mixture of mineral particles and organic material that covers the land, and in which terrestrial plants grow.

residual soil

a soil whose parent material is the local bedrock

transported soil

Soil that has been moved away from its parent material by water, wind, or a glacier.

soil profile

All the vertical layers or horizons that make up a soil in a particular place

soil horizon

a distinct layer within a soil profile