The Rock Cycle and Rates of Weathering and Erosion

Vocabulary flashcards covering the rock cycle, mechanical and chemical weathering, soil formation factors, agents of erosion, and the role of water in Earth systems.

Rock Cycle

The process describing how the three main rock types (sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous) are formed and broken down.

Mechanical Weathering

A weathering mechanism that causes the physical breakdown of rock without changing rock properties.

Chemical Weathering

A weathering mechanism that breaks down rock by changing the rock properties.

Aspects of Soil Formation

The factors that influence soil creation, including time, parent material, climate, biotic factors, and topography.

Weathering Rate Factors

Environmental influences that affect the rate at which rocks weather, including temperature and precipitation.

Agents of Erosion

Natural forces that transport sediment, including wind, water, ice, and gravity.

Flowing Water

An agent of movement that picks up, moves, and deposits sediment.

Density Changes of Freezing Water

The change in density when water freezes, which influences the mechanical breakdown of rock.

Chemical Changes by Water

Processes where water changes Earth material through eroding rock or chemical change such as acid rain and ocean acidification.

Water Polarity

A property of water that influences melting temperature, the dissolving of Earth's materials, and the breakdown of rock.