Geologic Processes
Geologic Processes
Weathering
Mass waiting
Exogenous Processes
Entheogenic Processes
Weathering
the disintegration of rocks, soil, and minerals together with other materials through contact with
Earth’s subsystems.
Types of Weathering
Physical
Chemical
Biological
Physical Weathering
Breakdown of rocks by physical or mechanical force concentrated along rock fractures.
Frost wedging a process in which water freezes in a crack of a rock and then the expansion edges
the rock apart.
Root wedging a process in which joints expand when plants growing on its surface pry it open.
Salt wedging a process in which salt concentrated water penetrates rock fractures and then
crystallizes causing the rock to break apart.
Abrasion is a process that consists of the grinding and rounding of rock surfaces by friction and
impact caused by waves and glaciers.
Thermal expansion and contraction occurs when temperature changes rapidly, causing the surface
of the rock to heat or cool.
Chemical Weathering
The process by which rocks break down by chemical reactions.
Dissolution
Geologic Processes 1
Process in which a mineral or rock dissolves in water forming a solution like halite dissolved in
water.
Hydrolysis
Occurs when water reacts with the minerals and breaks them down.
Oxidation
When free oxygen combines chemically with metallic elements (usually iron)
Biological Weathering
Occurs in roots of plants, fungi, and lichens secrete organic acids that dissolve minerals.
Erosion
Process characterized by removal of rock particle from where they were formed.
This is dues to some agents such as water, wind, waves, rain, and ice.
Transportation of materials
Soil Erosion
Running water
Gravity
human activities
Animals
Human Activities:
Logging
Infrastructure Projects/Land
Conversion
Mining
Overgrazing
Major Effects:
Geologic Processes 2
Houses and infrastructure damages
Life casualties
Rehabilitative Method - used in badly eroded areas, involves the use of vegetation and engineering
structure.
Vegetative Method
Mechanical Method
Preventive Method - used in slightly eroded areas, involves forest fire prevention, proper land use,
forest management, proper road construction, and education of the people
Erosion
Deposition
The geological process in which sediments, soil and rocks are added to a landform or land mass.
Wind, ice, water, and gravity transport previously weathered surface material, which, at the loss of
enough kinetic energy in the fluid, is deposited, building up layers of sediment.
Mass Wasting
Landslide
The movement of large masses of materials (rock, debris, soil mud) down a slope or a steep hill or
mountain due to gravity.
→ Debris flow
→ Mud flow
→ Slump
Debris Flow
Happens when a large amount of sediments, usually rocks or various sizes, falls down the slope.
Unlike a landslide, debris flow does not need water to flow down
Caused by gravity
Mud flow
This usually happens near rivers or streams where soil or sand is always moist or has been soaked
in water for a long time.
The weigh of the mudflow indicates the severity of risk when it flows down a community.
Slump
Geologic Processes 3
In time, the area would look curved because of the depression formed by the sinking land.
Water
Vegetation removal
Earthquakes
Magmatism
Magmatism happens when magma is generated and develops into igneous (magmatic) rocks.
Can take place either under the surface or on the surface of Earth.
Volcanism (Plutonism)
Magma escapes through openings such as volcanoes or cracks on the ground with extreme heat and
pressure and may cause destructive explosions.
Geologic stress is the force that acts on the rocks thereby creating different behavior or
characteristics.
1. Compressional
2. Tensional
3. Shear
4. Confining
Compressional
Tensional
Shear
Some of the portions of a plate at the edges may break away in different directions, making the plat
smaller in size.
Confining
Geologic Processes 4
Crust becomes compacts, making it look smaller.
Geologic Processes 5