Lesson 4 Geological Processes
Lesson 4 Geological Processes
Exogenic Process
- Are process that takes place at or near the Earth’s surface that makes the surface wear away.
- it’s very destructive, they are responsible for degradation and sculpting the Earth’s surface.
Types of Exogenic Processes
1. Weathering
2. Erosion
3. Mass wasting
4. Sedimentation
Weathering
- refers to the changes occurring at or near the surface of the earth which includes disintegration
and decomposition.
- Disintegration is a mechanical process that breaks large masses of Rocks into small fragments.
- Decomposition is a chemical process which result in the formation of new substance such as from
elements to rocks.
- Air, water, and substances dissolved in water react with elements in rocks. The hardest rock can be
broken by these processes.
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
- Also known Physical weathering cause rock to break into small pieces with each piece retaining the
characteristics of the original.
- The physical weathering happens when rocks is physically broken into smaller pieces.
Causes of Erosion
- Soil erosion in our country is expected because we live in the typhoon belt and so we experience
heavy precipitation or rain. Floods occur and carry a lot of sediments into the rivers and finally into
the sea.
The following activities cause much Erosion.
1. Kaingin method – trees are cuts and burned. Soil loses its fertility.
2. Logging – Practice of illegal logging disturbs the soil.
3. Infrastructure Project – such as dams, roads, bridges, irrigations and drainage basins, resorts and
hydroelectric plant.
4. Mining – companies loosen and dig rocks exposing them to further erosion.
5. Burning grassland – which may lead to accidental fires can destroy plants and leaves the soil bare.
Mass wasting
- Is the movement of rocks, soil and regolith downward due to the action of gravity.
- The downslope movement of rocks and soil under the direct influence of gravity is called Mass
wasting.
It is triggered by the following factors:
1. Over-steepened Slope
- Rapid movement are commonly found in the steep slopes while slow movements are found on
gentle slopes.
2. Water
- Rainwater adds weight and acts as a lubricant to weathered materials.
3. Earthquake
- It is a vibrant and also a factor that triggers mass wasting.
4. Vegetation Removal
- The lack of vegetation cover to hold the loose particles.
Sedimentation
- It is a natural process in which a material is carried to the bottom of bodies of water and form to
solid.
- Erosion, transportation, deposition, and sedimentation follow a downhill path in response to
gravity.
Endogenic processes
- It is associated with the energy originating in the
interior of the solid earth.
- This energy is what we call the thermal energy the
ground we live on is moving all the time and the
forces within the earth that caused the ground to
move are called the endogenic forces.
Where does the earth's internal heat come from?
The driving force is the thermal energy of the mountain.
Most of the thermal energy originates from the decay and
disintegration of radioactive elements in earth's core.
Shearing stress - some of the portions of a plate at the edges may break
away in different directions eventually making the plate smaller in size.
- This friction caused by this stress can cause earthquakes.