Earth Materials

Weathering

Weathering

The breaking down of rocks into smaller particles from the effects of wind, water, and ice

Erosion

The carrying away or moving of these weathered materials by wind, water, or ice to a new location

Deposition

The buildup of land where the wind, water, and ice finally stop moving and drop the sediment or soil in this new location

Mechanical weathering

The physical breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces because of wind, water, or ice

Chemical weathering

The disintegration of rock forming minerals caused by solvents (water), temperature, reaction with oxygen or hydrogen, and mild acids

Biological (organic) weathering

Processes that result from the action of vegetation, or by some animals, including root wedging and the production of organic acids

Rocks dissolving due to underground water

Chemical weathering

Root

Part of plant that causes rocks to break

Gravity

Main cause of erosion

Wind, water, and ice (glaciers)

Three other factors that can cause erosion

Natural hazards are classified

Based on how they occur (Interior, surface, and atmospheric)

Interior processes

Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes

Surface processes

Mass wasting (mudslides), Tsunamis, and Landslides

Atmospheric processes

Hurricanes, Tornadoes, and Floods

Richter scale

Scale used to measure earthquakes

Seismometer / Seismograph

Tool used to measure the intensity of earthquakes

Causes of Tsunamis

Underwater earthquakes or volcanic eruptions

Convergent boundary

Type of boundary that causes volcanic eruptions

Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)

Scale that volcanic eruptions are classified on

Hurricanes form

Over warm ocean water near the equator

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale

Scale Hurricanes are measured on

How Tornadoes form

Slower wind on the ground move in the opposite direction of faster, wetter air in storm clouds

Enhanced Fujita Scale

Scale Tornadoes are measured on

Earthquakes

Natural hazard that occurs due to plates shifting and releasing stored energy and most unpredictable natural hazard

Geoscience process

Any process that happens on and to Earth, such as weathering, erosion, or plate tectonics

small scale processes

Landslide and cave formation

large scale processes

plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions, seafloor spreading

Fast processes

earthquakes, meteorite crash, and volcanic eruptions

Slow processes

weathering & erosion, continental drift, cave formation