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Weathering/Erosion #
Weathering/Erosion Week #1
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| weathering | the chemical and physical processes that break down rock and other substances at Earth's surface |
| uniformitarianism | the geologic principle stating that the same geologic processes operating today to change Earth's surface also operated in the past |
| mechanical weathering | the type of weathering in which rock is PHYSICALLY broken into smaller pieces |
| abrasion | the grinding away of rock by other rock particles carried in water, ice, or wind |
| ice wedging | the process that splits rock when water seeps into cracks, then freezes and expands |
| chemical weathering | the process that breaks down rock through CHEMICAL changes |
| oxidation | a chemical change in which iron combines with oxygen forming rust |
| permeable | characteristic of a material that is full of tiny, connected air spaces that water can seep through |
| erosion | the process by which water, ice, wind, and gravity moves weathered rock or soil |
| acid rain | rain that contains more acid than normal due to the burning of fossil fuels |