Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition

What agent of weathering is active when rocks experience very warm and then very cold weather over time, causing cracking?

• plant roots

• wind

• water

• temperature

Answer explanation

The agent of weathering active when rocks undergo cycles of very warm and very cold weather is temperature. This process causes expansion and contraction, leading to cracking in the rocks.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

This type of physical weathering occurs when water seeps into cracks and then freezes, expanding to create larger cracks and breaking apart the rock.

• Root Wedging

• Frost Wedging

• Exfoliation

• Carbonation

Answer explanation

Frost wedging occurs when water enters cracks in rocks, freezes, and expands, causing the cracks to grow larger and eventually breaking the rock apart. This process is a key example of physical weathering.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

What is the correct order of geologic processes?

• Deposition

• Weathering

• Erosion

_____________________ changes the identity of rocks and it involves a chemical reaction or change.

• Physical weathering

• Chemical weathering

• Deposition

Answer explanation

Chemical weathering changes the identity of rocks through chemical reactions, altering their composition. In contrast, physical weathering only breaks rocks into smaller pieces without changing their chemical structure.

The two types of weathering are...

• Slow and rapid

• Mechanical (aka physical) and chemical

• Biological and physical

• Temporal and gravitational

Answer explanation

The two types of weathering are mechanical (physical) and chemical. Mechanical weathering involves physical processes breaking down rocks, while chemical weathering involves chemical reactions that alter the minerals within rocks.

When water and gravity combine to cause mechanical weathering and erosion...

• A volcano may erupt

• A landslide or mudslide may result

• Tectonic plates may shift

• An island may form

Answer explanation

When water and gravity interact, they can lead to landslides or mudslides, as the weight of saturated soil becomes too much to hold, causing it to flow downhill. This is a direct result of mechanical weathering and erosion.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

Sand dunes form as a result of...

• Recycling of crust at subduction zones

• Erosion and deposition by wind

• Freezing and thawing rock

• Erosion and deposition by water

Answer explanation

Sand dunes form primarily through erosion and deposition by wind, which transports sand particles and accumulates them in specific areas, creating the characteristic shapes of dunes.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Sandy beaches are built up through the process of...

• Deposition

• Convection

• Weathering

• Destructive forces

Answer explanation

Sandy beaches are formed through deposition, where sediments like sand are transported by water and wind and accumulate over time, creating the beach landscape. This process is essential for beach formation.

This image shows water expanding as it freezes in cracks in rock. This is known as ice wedging. It is a ​ (a)   force and a form of ​ (b)   weathering.

• destructive

• mechanical

• chemical

• constructive

• water

• liquid

Answer explanation

Ice wedging is a destructive force because it breaks down rocks. It is also a form of mechanical weathering, as it involves the physical expansion of water as it freezes, leading to the fragmentation of the rock.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Match the following...

• When features are built up on Earth's surface by sediment

• Erosion

• When rocks and sediment are moved elsewhere by water, ice, wind, or gravity

• Deposition

• When rocks and land are broken down due to forces such as gravity, wind, water, and ice

• Weathering

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4