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9 views6 pagesGeomorphic Processes and Agents Explained
The document discusses geomorphic processes and agents that shape the Earth's surface, categorizing them into exogenous and endogenous processes. It details various processes such as weathering, erosion, and mass removal, as well as their classification and effects on landforms. Additionally, it highlights the role of organisms and extraterrestrial impacts in geomorphology.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
9 views6 pagesGeomorphic Processes and Agents Explained
The document discusses geomorphic processes and agents that shape the Earth's surface, categorizing them into exogenous and endogenous processes. It details various processes such as weathering, erosion, and mass removal, as well as their classification and effects on landforms. Additionally, it highlights the role of organisms and extraterrestrial impacts in geomorphology.
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GEO–414 Geomorphology 2018
THEME 3
ANALYSIS OF GEOMORPHIC PROCESSES
AGENTS AND GEOMORPHIC PROCESSES
Process: It is defined as any physical and chemical change that determines a
modification of the Earth's surface shape.
Geomorphic agent: It is any natural medium capable of obtaining and transporting.
material from the Earth. Surface or groundwater, glaciers, the wind,
tides and tsunamis are considered geomorphic agents; they
they develop outside the Earth's crust.
CLASSIFICATION OF GEOMORPHIC PROCESSES
Exogenous or Epigenetic Processes
Weathering
Mass removal
Erosion Running water
Degradation Groundwater
Waves, currents, tides, and tsunamis
Wind
Glaciers
Graduation Running water
Groundwater
Addiction Waves, currents, tides, and tsunamis
Wind
Glaciers
Work of organisms (man)
Endogenous or Hypogenic Processes
Diatrophism
Volcanism
Extraterrestrial processes
Meteorite fall
EXOGENOUS PROCESSES
Grading.- It is defined as all those processes that aim to shape the surface.
from the lithosphere to a common level.
Gradual processes belong to two categories:
Degradation. processes that level downwards
Aggradation. Process by which land leveling occurs upwards.
Ing. Oscar D. Almendras Alarcón Page 8
GEO–414 Geomorphology 2018
GRADATION PROCESSES
DEGRADATION
Degradation occurs due to three distinct processes: weathering, removal
in bulk and erosion.
Weathering is defined as the physical disintegration or chemical decomposition.
from the rock subjected to different processes. It groups processes that act
collectively in and near the surface of the Earth. It is a static process and not
significa la captura y remoción del material por un agente de transporte.
Mass removal refers to the transport of large volumes of debris.
downwards due to the direct influence of gravity. In this process, it is accompanied
by the presence of water in such a way that it is not considered as a means of
transport (fluvial erosion).
Erosion is defined as the acquisition and transport of material for later
deposit it in a basin. The agents are: water, wind, and glaciers. For the
We will have fluvial, wind, glacial, and marine erosion.
In changing, denudation is a process that includes weathering and erosion.
The two processes are different. Weathering can occur without erosion.
subsequent and sometimes only erosion acts without weathering acting,
for example, glacial erosion.
Weathering of Rocks
Physical weathering: the physical disintegration (fragmentation) of rocks.
Chemical weathering: the chemical decomposition of rocks.
Conditoning factors of weathering
The factors that define the type and degree of weathering are four:
Structure of the rocks: type of stratification, characteristics of the strata
(thick, thin); presence of joints, fractures, faults, planes of
stratification and mineralogical composition.
Type of relief: The amount of outcrops.
Weather conditions: temperate, humid, tropical, semi-arid, etc.
Type of vegetation cover: arid soils or with vegetation cover.
Ing. Oscar D. Almendras Alarcón Page 9
GEO–414 Geomorphology 2018
PHYSICAL PROCESSES OF WEATHERING
a) Expansion by charge release. It occurs as a result of readjustment.
of the tensions that arise as a consequence of the formation of
parallel diaclases to the lithological surface. concentric exfoliation: succession
of concordant layers forming exfoliation domes. This process also
It can occur in sedimentary rocks (scaling or flaking).
b) Crystal growth. A very common process in arid and semi-arid regions,
high mountain range. For this process to act on the rock, it is necessary that it
broken halo, diaclases, failures, stratification planes, conduits through which
water can infiltrate and due to temperature changes the water
increases in volume and fractures the rock, the fragments are angular and are
they accumulate on the edges of basins, called: sallerio, canchal, fields
block (± 20 cm). In this process, other crystals also act as
sales. The result may be due to the combined effect of the three actions.
previous.
c) Thermal expansion. It is due to the fact that the rock is affected as a consequence of
the volume changes caused by temperature changes. This
the effect is called exfoliation in bulk that produces the disintegration of the
rock or granular exfoliation, for example: the formation of the material called
gravel or sand resulting from the weathering of granite.
d) Action of organisms. Growth of the roots that penetrate between the
rocks and produce the fragmentation of the rock.
CHEMICAL WEATHERING PROCESSES
a) Hydrolysis. It is the process of decomposition of crystalline rocks into clays.
of neoformation, it is a reaction where the cations of the
silicates by the ion H+, such as the displacement of Fe and Mg by H, in
the ferromagnesian silicates, producing a variety of minerals
silicates.
b) Chemical hydration. It occurs by the incorporation of water into the structure.
the molecule of a mineral, which can lead to the formation of new minerals, which can
imply changes in volume and solubility or other properties that it
hagan más vulnerables a las alteraciones, por ej. La transformación de hematita
in limonite, which is much more fragile.
c) Carbonation. Of great importance in limestones or other carbonates, it involves the
dissolution of CO2in the water forming carbonic acid or bicarbonate, capable
to dissolve carbonate rocks.
Ing. Oscar D. Almendras Alarcón Page 10
GEO–414 Geomorphology 2018
d) Dissolution. Generally implies ionic dissociation, diffusing the
molecules of one body in those of another, usually solids in liquids. This
the process takes place in the karstification.
e) Oxidation-reduction. It involves the loss or gain of electrons through
a series of reactions that modify the chemical stability of a mineral, it
what makes other actions vulnerable such as dissolution or ionic change.
MASS REMOVAL
Also called gravitational displacement of material. Sharpe recognizes four
mass removal methods:
Types of slow flow
Reptation: slow movement, downhill, of soil and rocky debris, by
general no perceptible, salvo mediante reiteradas observaciones.
Soil creep: the downhill movement of soil.
Slope debris reptation: the downhill movement of debris
of slope or landslide.
Rock creep: the downhill movement of individual blocks
rocks.
-Retraction of rocky glaciers: the movement, downhill, of tongues of
rocky debris.
Solifluxion: slow, downhill flow of saturated rock debris.
of water and not confined to defined channels.
Types of fast flow
-Soil currents: the downward movement of earthy, clayey material.
muddy, saturated with water, in low-slope terraces or slopes of hills.
Mudflows: the downward movement, from slow to very fast of
water-saturated debris, in defined channels.
Debris collapse: laminar flow, downhill, on slope
steep slopes of narrow extensions, made of rocky debris.
Landslides
With perceptible movements and involving relatively dry masses of debris.
earthy.
Ing. Oscar D. Almendras Alarcón Page 11
GEO–414 Geomorphology 2018
- Collapse: the sliding down of one or several units of
rocky debris, generally with a backward rotation with respect to the
slope on which the movement takes place.
- Debris slide: the rapid sliding or rolling of debris
unconsolidated soils without backward mass rotation.
- Debris fall: the free fall of debris from an earth face
vertical or protruding from the ground.
- Rock sliding: the sliding or falling of individual masses of
rocks along stratification surfaces, of joints or faults.
- Rock avalanche: the sliding or falling of rock blocks in any
steep slope.
- Sinking: downward displacement of the surface earthy material, without
a free surface with no horizontal displacement.
2. GRADATION
The aggregation or accumulation is an inevitable consequence of degradation and
contributes to the general leveling of the Earth's surface. The accumulation results
from a loss in transport power. The accumulation by a glacier as it
as it melts, it can be considered as a special type of loss in power
transport
In most cases, more importance has been given to the forms of relief.
erosive than those resulting from accumulation, as they are more striking. The
Alluvial and glacial deposits have been the most extensively studied.
ENDOGENOUS PROCESSES
3. DIastrophism
They are endogenous processes, because the forces responsible originate from some
depth within the Earth's crust. These processes elevate or build
portions of the Earth's surface and consequently prevent the processes of
gradations may ultimately reduce the land areas of the planet to sea level.
Diastrophic processes are classified into two types: orogenic and epiregonic.
- Orogenic movements: referring to the formation of mountains with deformation.
They are more localized than the epigenic ones and generally involve forces.
tangential with the resulting compression or tension of the rock strata.
Ing. Oscar D. Almendras Alarcón Page 12
GEO–414 Geomorphology 2018
- Epirogenic movements: referred to regional uplift without deformation
important.
The periods of mountain formation (orogenesis) occur episodically,
widely spaced in geological time and worldwide in extent.
4. VOLCANISM
Volcanism includes the movement of magma or molten rock to or towards the
land surface. This encompasses the different ways through which rock
melted is extruded. It can be done through a central conduit called
volcanoes, or through extensive openings in the form of large mass eruptions, with
topographic forms resulting from igneous intrusions such as stratovolcanoes,
domes and pyroclastic plains.
5. METEORITE FALL
The forms of relief are created as a result of meteorite impacts on the
land surface. Such forms are scarce, but there are some properly
verified, such as the Meteor crater in Arizona or the Iturralde crater
located in the north of the department of La Paz. They are shapes produced by agents
extraterrestrials, originated by the influence of Earth's gravity.
6. TOPOGRAPHIC EFFECTS OF ORGANISMS
Organisms, including humans, should not be overlooked as
geomorphic agents. Quarries, cuttings, and fillings of roads and others
excavations deeply modify the surface of the Earth. It must be taken
Bomb craters affect the terrestrial relief.
Reefs built by corals, dams made by beavers, termites, and squirrels and
others, create mounds play a role in the development of the Earth's relief.