1. What Is the Process of Weathering?

DR: Weatheringp. 276-277 Name______per______

1. What is the process of weathering?

______

MECHANICAL WEATHERING p. 278-279

2. Mechanical weathering is the breakdown of rock into smaller pieces by

a. warm weather b. cold weather c. chemical processes d. physical means.

3. Ice, wind, water, gravity, plants, and animals can all be agents of

a. mechanical weathering b. chemical weathering c. chemical processes d. abrasion

4. The alternate freezing and thawing of soil and rock is called

a. frost action b. abrasion c. oxidation d. chemical processes

5. Ice wedging occurs when water filling a crack in a rock

a. flows out and then freezes b. freezes and contracts

c. freezes and expands d. flows out and causes abrasion

6. The grinding and wearing away of rock surfaces through the mechanicalaction of other rocks or sand particles is called______

7. Rocks that have been shaped by blowing sand are called ______

Match the correct description with the correct term.

______8.one rock falling against another rock

______9.pebbles bumping against each other in astream

______10.wind blowing sand against rock

11. Explain how a plant can break a rock.

______

12. In what way can an animal cause mechanical weathering?

______

CHEMICAL WEATHERING p. 281-283

13. The process by which rocks break down as a result of chemicalreactions is called

a. abrasion b. mechanical weatheringc. chemical weathering d. acid precipitation

14. Rain, sleet, or snow that contains a high concentration of acids is called

a. mechanical weatheringb. acid precipitation c. chemical weathering d. abrasion

15. Compounds formed by the burning of fossil fuels combine with waterin the atmosphere to form

a. phosphoric acids b. acetic acidsc. carbon monoxide d. weak acids

16. Acid precipitation can result from

a. ventifacts b. abrasion c. burning of fossil fuels d. mechanical weathering

17. Over a long period of time, acids in the groundwater can cause chemicalweathering of limestone. This weathering can form a cavern, which is a typeof ______

18. Explain how lichens cause chemical weathering ______

19. The chemical reaction in which an element, such as iron, combines withoxygen to form an oxide is called ______

20. When oxygen in the air reacts with metal, oxidation occurs and causes themetal to ______

Autobiography of a Rock: After READING theprevious section “Weathering.”…….

The autobiography of Grant Stone, the first rock to learn to talk, has just been published.Grant has had a really interesting life! Below are some excerpts from Grant’sautobiography. After you read each excerpt, decide if Grant is telling a story aboutmechanical or chemical weathering.

1. Circle the appropriate type of weatheringchemical or mechanical.
2. Circle the term that was the cause of the weathering

***BE CAREFUL….ONE TERM WILL BE USED TWICE**

21. In my youth, I was part of a much larger rock on the side of a mountain. In thesummer, small trickles of water would enter cracks in my surface; in thewinter, the water would freeze. The cracks grew larger, until I eventuallybroke off the granite outcropping. chemical or mechanical

abrasion acids in living things acid precipitation ice wedging oxidation.

22. As I fell off the mountain, I caused a rock slide. There were hundreds of rocks,large and small, rolling down the mountain. We were bumping into each otherand sliding all over. It was a regular rock stampede!

chemical or mechanical

abrasion acids in living things acid precipitation ice wedging oxidation.

23. I stopped at the base of the mountain, on top of the pile of rocks. I spent manyyears there, and gradually, a colony of lichen began to grow on my side. Theywere easy to live with, but where the lichen grew, my edges became lesssharp. chemical or mechanical

abrasion acids in living things acid precipitation ice wedging oxidation.

24. In one of my journeys, I met some rocks that were a beautiful red color. Theytold me they were made with a lot of iron, and the iron helped to cause theirred coloration. chemical or mechanical

abrasion acids in living things acid precipitation ice wedging oxidation.

25. winter, the mountain had a much larger snowfall than usual, and the springwas stormy, with lots of rain. The rain and the snowmelt caused a flood, and Ifound myself in the bottom of a river, being jostled among more rocks andrubbed by silt. chemical or mechanical

abrasion acids in living things acid precipitation ice wedging oxidation.

26. Over time, that river changed course, and I was left in the open. In recentdecades, I’ve started to crumble a little at the edges. I’m not sure what causesit, but I think it has something to do with the rain—the rain seems to do muchmore damage to me that it used to. chemical or mechanical

abrasion acids in living things acid precipitation ice wedging oxidation.

Section: Rates of Weathering p. 284

27. What three factors determine the rate at which rock weathers?

______

DIFFERENTIAL WEATHERING

28. The process by which softer, less weather-resistant rocks wear awayand leave harder, more weather-resistant rocks behind is called

a. mechanical weatheringb. chemical weatheringc. differential weatheringd. acid precipitation

29.Scientists believe Devil’s Tower once was part of a

a. volcanob. larger piece of granitec. karst landscaped. ventifact

30. The landform called Devil’s Tower is made up of the hard, weatherresistantrocks that remained after the softer rocks

a. karstedb. oxidizedc. tumbled in a riverbed d. wore away

THE SHAPE OF ROCKS p.285

31. Weathering takes place

a. at different rates, depending on weight b. on the outer surface of rocks

c. on all rocks equally d. inside the rocks.

32. Because of a large rock’s large volume, it will

a. weather unevenlyb. weather relatively quickly c. not weather at all d. weather relatively slowly

33. Small rocks weather more quickly than large rocks because they have moresurface area as compared to their ______

WEATHERING AND CLIMATE p.286

34. The average weather condition in an area over a long period of time is called ______

35. Chemical weathering such as oxidation occurs more quickly in a climate thatis ______and ______

WEATHERING AND ELEVATION p.287

36. Weathering occurs faster at high elevations because of

a. an increase in wind but not ice or rain b. an increase in ice and rain but not wind

c. a decrease in wind, ice, and rain d. an increase in wind, ice, and rain

37. How does gravity contribute to the weathering of steep mountain slopes?

______

Section: From Bedrock to Soil------THE SOURCE OF SOIL p.288

Match the correct description with the correct term.

_____ 38.soil that is blown or washed away from itsparent rock

_____ 39.the layer of rock beneath the soil

_____ 40.a loose mixture of small mineral fragments,organic material, water,

and air that cansupport the growth of vegetation

_____ 41.the rock formation that is the source of mineralfragments in the soil

_____ 42.soil that remains above its parent rock

SOIL PROPERTIES p. 289

Match the correct description with the correct term.

_____ 43.soil quality that is based on the proportions ofsoil particles

_____ 44.soil’s ability to hold nutrients and to supplynutrients to a plant

_____ 45.ability of water to move through the soil

_____ 46.arrangement of soil particles

47. The organic material formed in soil from the decayed remains of plants andanimals is called ______

48. Because of the way soil forms, soil often ends up in a series of horizontal layers called ______

49. The top layer of soil, often called ______, usually containsmore humus than the layers below it.

50. The removal of substances that can be dissolved from rock and soil due towater passing through is called ______

51. What is the pH scale used to measure?

______

SOIL AND CLIMATE p.291

Match the correct description with the correct term.

_____ 52.climate with low temperatures and slowsoil formation, resulting

in thin soil thatcannot support many plants

_____ 53.climate with heavy rain that leachesprecious nutrients from the topsoil

_____ 54.climate with enough rain to cause a highlevel of chemical

weathering, but not somuch that the nutrients are leached out ofthe soil

_____ 55.climate with less than 25 cm of rain peryear and a low ability

to support plant andanimal life

56. Lush plant growth takes large amounts of nutrients from the soil in which

climate?______

57. When dead plants decay quickly in warm soil, they produce rich ______

58. Tropical soils are generally poor and thin due to ______

59. Toxic levels of salt are sometimes found in the soil in which climate?

______

60. What happens to soil because of frequent changes in temperature in temperateclimates?

______

61. The most productive soil in the world can be found in which climate?

______

SOIL CONSERVATION p. 294

62. ______is a method to maintain the fertility of the soil by protecting the soil from erosion and nutrient loss.

63. Soil provides ______and other ______for plants.

SOIL DAMAGE AND LOSS p.295

64. Soil can be damaged from overuse by ______or by ______.

65. ______is the process by which wind, water, or gravity transports soil and sediment from one location to another.

Weathering and Soil Formation

After you finish reading the chapter, try this puzzle! Use the clues below to figureout what key terms go in each space of the puzzle on the next page. The letters insquares spell out a phrase.

1. the breakdown of rock into smaller pieces by physical means

2. the process by which wind, water, ice, or gravity transports soil and sedimentfrom one location to another

3. a rock formation that is the source of soil

4. the dark, organic material formed in soil from the decayed remains of plantsand animals

5. the process by which softer, less weather-resistant rocks wear away and leaveharder, more weather-resistant rocks behind

6. the arrangement of soil particles

7. methods to maintain the fertility of the soil by protecting the soil from erosionand nutrient loss

8. the soil quality that is based on the proportions of different-sized soil particles

9. the process by which rocks break down as a result of chemical reactions

10. the process by which rock materials are broken down by the action of physicaland chemical processes

11. the removal of substances that can be dissolved from rock, ore, or layers ofsoil due to the passing of water

12. the grinding and wearing away of rock surfaces through the mechanical actionof other rock or sand particles

13. the layer of rock beneath soil

14. rain, sleet, or snow that contains a high concentration of acids

15. a loose mixture of rock fragments, organic material, water, and air that cansupport the growth of vegetation