Plate Tectonics Picture. Biosphere: Erosion. Erosion is the process that breaks things down. As far as we're concerned, erosion is the breakdown of the continents and the land around you. The overall effect of breaking down and weathering the land is called denudation. Denudation is the process of erosion. In nature, large things are broken down into smaller things. Boulders become sand. Mountains are rained on and become hills. Erosion is an easy idea to understand. Things don't just disappear. Mass wasting can happen two ways: 1) mechanical, similar to breaking a rock with a hammer; and 2) chemical, similar to pouring acid on a rock to dissolve it.
A surefire way to tell what is happening is to check the color of the rock. Erosion happens at the tops of mountains and under the soil. Or search the sites for a specific topic. Coastal Erosion - Drew Point, AK (USGS Video) Weathering national geographic. Weathering is the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on Earths surface. Water, ice, acids, salt, plants, animals, and changes in temperature are all agents of weathering. Once the rock has been broken down, a process called erosion transports the bits of rock and minerals away.
No rock on Earths surface is hard enough to resist weathering. Together, the processes of weathering and erosion carved the Grand Canyon, in the U.S. state of Arizona. This massive canyon is 446 kilometers (277 miles) long, as much as 29 kilometers (18 miles) wide, and 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) deep. Weathering and erosion constantly change the Earth. Weathering can be a mechanical or a chemical process. Mechanical Weathering Mechanical weathering, also called physical weathering, causes rocks to crumble. Mechanical weathering also occurs as the rock heats up and cools down. Another type of mechanical weathering occurs when clay or other materials near hard rock absorb water. Chemical Weathering. Earthquakes Video. Volcanoes WizKids. Volcanoes (Volcanoes are not associated with weather, but instead are natural disasters.) What is a volcano?
A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a pool of molten rock below the surface of the earth. When pressure builds up, eruptions occur. Gases and rock shoot up through the opening and spill over or fill the air with lava fragments. Click Here to learn more about volcanoes from USGS. How are volcanoes formed? What are plate tectonics? Click Here to learn more about plate tectonics and the drifting of our continents. How many volcanoes are there? What are the different types of volcanoes? What is the difference between lava and magma? Why does lava take a long time to cool down? What is a pyroclastic flow? What is lahar? What is pumice? What is the largest active volcano? What is the Ring of Fire? When did Mount St. Click Here for more info on Mount St. Click Here to see an animation of an earthquake and the resulting tsunami. Know the Lingo Volcano Safety Tips Volcano Activities.