Lesson 5
• Explain how the products of
weathering are carried away
by erosion and deposited
elsewhere.
• Describe the agents of
erosion, transportation and
deposition.
Exogenic processes are processes
that take place at or near the
earth’s surface that makes the
surface wear away. Exogenic
processes are very destructive,
they are responsible for
degradation and sculpting the
earth’s surface.
EXOGENIC
PROCESSES EROSION
Gunung Mulu National Park
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River Cave
I. WEATHERING
▪The disintegration and decomposition
of rock at or near the Earth's surface
by physical, chemical, or biological means
▪It is due to the action or exposure of
elements of weather and climate over
earth material.
▪Weathering
takes place in
the same
place, with
little or no
movement of
substance.
1. Physical/Mechanical Weathering
▪Breaking rocks into
smaller pieces without
changing their
chemical makeup.
[Link] Wedging
- Water enters
cracks in rocks.
- Freezes and
expands, breaking
the rock apart
b. Thermal Expansion
- Rocks heat up in the
day and expand, then
cool at night and contract.
- This repeated stress
causes the rock to crack
and flake off.
- Common in
deserts.
c. Abrasion
- Rocks scrape or
grind against each other
due to wind, water,
glaciers, or gravity.
- This smooths or
breaks down rocks.
d. Exfoliation
- Overlying materials
are removed (by erosion),
reducing pressure on
rocks underneath.
- The rock expands
and peels off in layers,
like onion skin.
2. Chemical Weathering
▪Chemical change in the rocks through
formation of new compounds or formation
of new substances is called chemical
weathering.
▪There are several chemical processes
included such as oxidation , hydrolysis,
and acid solution
Types of Chemical Weathering
[Link]
The process in which atmospheric
oxygen reacts with the rock to produce
oxides. The greatest impacts of this
process is observed on ferrous minerals.
Oxygen present in humid air reacts
with iron grains in the rock to form a
yellow or red oxide of iron. This is called
rusting of the iron. Rust decomposes rocks
completely with the passage of time.
b. Hydrolysis
Reaction of minerals with water, forming new
minerals and weakening the rock.
Example: Feldspar in granite turns into clay
minerals.
c. Carbonation
• Carbon dioxide (CO₂) dissolves in
rainwater forming weak carbonic
acid.
• This acid reacts with limestone and
marble (made of calcium carbonate),
causing them to dissolve.
• Common in caves and karst
landscapes.
3. Biological Weathering
▪caused by living organisms like
plants, animals, or microbes.
[Link]
It contributes to both mechanical and
chemical weathering. The roots of the
plants penetrate into the joints of the rocks .
They grow longer and thicker. In
this manner they exert pressure on rocks
and the rock joints are thereby enlarged and
break into smaller fragments.
b. Burrowing
Burrowing animals
like earthworms, rats,
rabbits, termites and
ants breakdown the
rocks.
c. Human Beings play a very
important role in weathering of
various rocks. Man breaks a large
amount of rocks in the course of
his activities , like agriculture,
construction of houses,
construction of roads, among
others.
He quarries for mining minerals, thus, helps in
weathering by breaking, weakening and loosening the
rocks.
II. EROSION Erosion is the
geological process in
which earth materials
are worn away and
transported by natural
forces such as wind,
water, ice and gravity.
Agents of erosion:
Water
Water is the most powerful agent of
erosion. Both surface and groundwater act
as an agent of erosion. Groundwater
creates underground surfaces like caves
while water running on land surfaces
creates land surfaces like deltas.
Ice
Large mass of moving ice is called a
glacier. When glaciers move, they
carve their valleys, (U-shaped, V-
shaped). Like rivers, glaciers break and
carry away rock fragments.
Wind
Like ice and water, wind erodes too, transports, and
deposits rock materials. The action of the wind is more
prominent in arid and semi-arid regions. The flow of wind
can change the shape and size of the rocks.
Wave
In coastal areas, the sea is constantly eroding old
landforms and creating new ones. The marine erosion is
also a type of wave erosion that creates landforms such as
an arch, a sea cave, etc.
Gravity
Mass wasting or the downslope movement of soil, rock,
and regolith is under the direct influence of gravity. Mass
wasting can be affected by the slope angle and addition of
water to the eroded material.
III. DEPOSITION
Deposition occurs when the agents of erosion lay
down sediment to its depositional environment or
final destination. The depositional environment can
be continental, coastal, or marine.
• Continental includes streams,
swamps, caves, and deserts.
• Coastal includes lagoons,
estuaries, and deltas.
• Marine includes slopes and the
bottom of the ocean or abyssal zone.
DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT
Coastal environment