What are Exogenic Processes?

 The processes which occur on earth’s surface due to the influence of exogenic forces are called as exogenic processes or exogenic
geomorphic processes. All the exogenic processes are covered under a general term- denudation, which means strip off or uncover.

Weathering, Erosion & Deposition

Why is this important?

-Erosion and weathering are major forces that shape the world around us.
-People play a part in the way and amount that our soil erodes around us.
Weathering
- Wears down rocks and other substances on the Earth’s surface.
- produces sediment

Types of Weathering
 Mechanical weathering - breaks the rock down into smaller pieces (physical change).
Examples:
1. Abrasion - The wearing away of a substance by solid particles carried by wind, water, or other forces.
2. Exfoliation -The breaking off of curved sheets or slabs parallel to a rock’s surface.
3. Frost Action - The breaking apart of a rock caused by water freezing and expanding within cracks.
4. Root-pry - – The breaking apart of rocks caused by the growth of plant roots.

 Chemical weathering - causes a change in the chemical makeup of the rock (chemical change).
Examples:
1. Oxidation - Chemical reaction between the iron in rocks and oxygen in the air to form iron oxide, or rust.
2. Acid Rain – Occurs when carbon dioxide or sulfur oxide dissolves in the rain.
3. Plant Acids - Acids produced by plants slowly dissolve minerals in rocks. Important in the formation of soil.

Factors that affect the type, extent, and rate at which weathering takes place:

a. Climate – areas that are cold and dry tend to have slow rates of chemical weathering and weathering is mostly physical; chemical
weathering is most active in areas with high temperature and rainfall
b. Rock type – the minerals that constitute rocks have different susceptibilities to weathering. Those that are most stable to surface
conditions will be the most resistant to weathering. Thus, olivine for example which crystallizes at high temperature conditions will
weather first than quartz which crystallizes at lower temperature conditions.
c. Rock structure- rate of weathering is affected by the presence of joints, folds, faults, bedding planes through which agents of
weathering enter a rock mass. Highly-jointed/fractured rocks disintegrate faster than a solid mass of rock of the same dimension
d. Topography- weathering occurs more quickly on a steep slope than on a gentle one
e. Time- length of exposure to agents of weather determines the degree of weathering of a rock

Prepared by: Mrs. Rovilisa C. Binobo