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Topic 3: Erosion

Topic 3: Erosion. Erosion is the movement of rock and mineral grains from one place to another. Weathering (3 types) breaks down and wears away rock creating sediment. Mechanical Weathering.

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Topic 3: Erosion

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  1. Topic 3: Erosion • Erosion is the movement of rock and mineral grains from one place to another. • Weathering (3 types) breaks down and wears away rock creating sediment.

  2. Mechanical Weathering • The physical break-up or disintegration of rocks, caused by gravity, temperature change and frost wedging

  3. Chemical Weathering • Chemicals, present in the Earth’s surface or atmosphere, can be dissolved in water and react in the chemical decomposition of rocks and minerals (acid rain).

  4. Biological Weathering • Living organisms (plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi) can break down rock • Plant roots, acidic fluids produced by roots, bacteria, fungi and some insects and small animals can cause chemical reactions

  5. The Changing Surface of the Earth • Agents of erosion include: glaciers, gravity, wind and water • Changes can occur gradually (glaciers) or suddenly (flash floods, landslides, rock slides

  6. The Changing Surface of the Earth • Sediment that is pushed away as the glacier moves forward are called moraines • Scratches made in the bedrock by glaciers carrying rocks are called striations • Gravity can cause landslides and rockslides • Wind carries rock particles across the landscape, eroding the land by abrasion (planting vegetation, contour farming and reduced tillage can reduce the effects of wind erosion

  7. Water in Motion • Water is one of the most powerful causes of erosion • Sudden or incremental changes occur due to the movement of water – rivers, rain, ocean waves • When a river becomes mature it begins to meander (curving its bed from side to side)

  8. Applications • Dinosaur Provincial Park (The Badlands) (YouTube - Dinosaur Provincial Park) • Road repair due to frost wedging • Frank Slide Interpretive Centre (YouTube - Frank Slide) • Okotoks ‘Big Rock’ – an erratic (YouTube - 2BLUE ROADTRIPMAN "THE BIG ROCK OKOTOKS ALBERTA“) • Athabasca River deepens the quartzite rock, making a canyon

  9. Applications • Caving – ‘Discover what treasures the spaces hold’ (especially the Castleguard Cave, near Columbia Icefield (it is 18 km long)

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