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WEEK 5: IIA. EARTH MATERIALS AND PROCESSES:
Exogenic Process
Learning Competencies:
Describe what is exogenic process
Describe how rocks undergo weathering. S11/12ES-Ib-e-11
Explain how the products of weathering are carried away by erosion and
deposited elsewhere. S11/12ES-Ib-e-12
MISSION 1. Introductory activity
Think a word that best describe the word or sentence that will define the
word exogenic process
EXOGENIC PROCESS
The earth’s surface is being continuously subjected to external forces originating
within the earth’s atmosphere and by internal forces from within the earth. The external
forces are known as exogenic forces and the internal forces are known as endogenic
forces.
EXOGENIC PROCESSES
The processes which occur on earth’s surface due to the influence of exogenic forces
are called as exogenic processes or exogenic geomorphic processes.
1. Weathering - Weathering is the action of elements of weather and climate over earth
material.
a. Physical / Mechanical weathering - the disintegration and decomposition of
rocks and minerals, in physical weathering, rocks are decreased in size but the
chemical composition remains the same. Factors responsible for physical
weathering are temperature, water, ice, and wind. There are two main types of
physical weathering:
b. Chemical weathering, the chemical composition of rocks and minerals is
slightly or completely destroyed or altered to form new minerals. Processes
involved in chemical weathering is, hydrolysis, hydration, oxidation, dissolution,
and acidification
c. Biological weathering - This kind of weathering is caused by several
biological activities like growth or movements of organisms
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MISSION 2: Complete the concept map by giving examples of the different types
of weathering.
WEATHERING
Chemical Weathering Physical/Mechanical Weathering Biological Weathering
Physical/Mechanical Weathering
What are Exogenic Forces?
The forces which derive their strength from the earth’s exterior or originate within
the earth’s atmosphere are called as exogenic forces or external forces.
The action of exogenic forces results in wearing down and hence they are considered
as land wearing forces.
Exogenic Processes or Denudation
The processes which occur on the earth’s surface due to the influence of
exogenic forces are called exogenic processes or exogenic geomorphic processes.
Weathering, mass wasting, erosion, and deposition are the main exogenic processes.
All the exogenic processes are covered under a general term- denudation, which
means strip off or uncovers.
The elements of nature capable of doing these exogenic processes are termed
geomorphic agents (or exogenic geomorphic agents). E.g. the wind, water, waves etc.
Note: A process is a force applied on earth materials affecting the same. An agent is a mobile
medium (like running water, moving ice, winds, waves etc) which removes, transport and
deposits earth materials.
Geomorphic processes and geomorphic agents especially exogenic, unless stated
separately, are one and the same.
Gravity and gradients are the two things that make these agents mobile.
All the movements either within the earth or on the surface of the earth occur due
to gradients– from higher levels to lower levels, from high pressure to low pressure etc.
The exogenic forces derive their energy from the atmosphere determined by the
ultimate energy from the sun and also the gradient created by tectonic factors. We have
already discussed in previous articles that slopes on the earth surface are mainly
created by tectonic factors or earth movements due to endogenic forces.
We know that force applied per unit area is called stress. Stress is produced in a solid
by pushing or pulling.
The gravitational force acts upon all earth materials having a sloping surface and tends
to produce movement of matter in the down-slope direction. This creates stress and
induces deformation to the particles.
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WEATHERING
Weathering is the action of elements of weather and climate over earth material. It can
be defined as mechanical disintegration and chemical decomposition of rocks through
the actions of various elements of weather and climate. When rocks undergo
weathering, some minerals are removed through chemical/ physical leaching by
groundwater and thereby the concentration of remaining (valuable) minerals increase.
Weathering can be classified as – physical, chemical and biological:
Physical / Mechanical weathering
Physical or mechanical weathering processes depend on some applied forces.
The applied forces could be (i) gravitational forces such as overburden pressure,
load, and shearing stress; (ii) expansion force due to temperature changes,
crystal growth or animal activity; (iii) water pressure controlled by wetting and
drying cycles.
Causes: Most of the physical weathering are caused by thermal expansion and
pressure.
A) UNLOADING AND EXPANSION:
Removal of overlying rock load because of continued
erosion causes vertical pressure release.
Thus, the upper layers of the remaining rock expand
to produce disintegration of rock masses.
Fractures will develop roughly parallel to the ground
surface.
In areas of curved ground surfaces, arched fractures tend to produce massive
sheets or exfoliated slabs.
Exfoliation is a result but not a process. Flaking off of more or less curved sheets
of shells from over rocks or bedrocks results in smooth and rounded surfaces.
So, unloading and expansion create largely, smooth rounded domes
called exfoliation domes.
B) TEMPERATURE CHANGES AND EXPANSION:
With rising in temperature, every mineral expands and
pushes against its neighbour and as the temperature
falls, a corresponding contraction takes place.
Due to differential heating and the resulting expansion
and contraction of surface layers and their
subsequent exfoliation from the surface results in
smooth rounded surfaces in rocks.
In rock like granites, smooth-surfaced and rounded small to big boulders
called tors form due to such exfoliation.
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C) FREEZING, THAWING AND FROST WEDGING:
Cycles of freezing and thawing (the weather becomes warmer and causes snow
and ice to melt) cause frost weathering.
It is most effective at high elevations in mid-latitude where freezing and melting is
often repeated.
Rapid freezing of water causes its sudden expansion and high pressure. The
resulting expansion affects joints, cracks, and small intergranular fractures to
become wider and wider till the rock breaks apart.
D) SALT WEATHERING:
Salts in rocks expand due to thermal action, hydration and crystallization.
Many salts like calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium and barium have a
tendency to expand.
The expansion depends on temperature and thermal properties. High temperature
ranges between 30-50 0 C of surface temperatures in desert favours such salt
expansions.
Salt crystallization is the most effective of all salt weathering processes. It is
favoured in areas of alternative wetting and drying conditions.
Chemical weathering
Chemical weathering can be due to solution, carbonation, hydration or oxidation/
reduction.
A) SOLUTION:
When something is dissolved in water or acids, the water or acid with dissolved
content is called a solution.
This process involves the removal of solids in solution and depends upon the
solubility of a mineral in water or weak acids.
When coming into contact with water, many solids disintegrate and mix up as a
suspension in water.
Soluble rock-forming minerals like nitrates, sulphates, potassium etc are affected
by this process.
This kind of weathering mainly occurs in a rainy
Minerals like calcium carbonate and magnesium bicarbonate present in limestone
are soluble in water containing carbonic acid (formed with the addition of carbon
dioxide in water) and are carried away in the water as a solution.
Common salt is also a rock-forming mineral and is susceptible to this process of
solution.
B) CARBONATION:
Carbonation is the reaction of carbonate and bicarbonate with minerals and is a
common process helping to break down feldspar and carbonate minerals.
Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and soil air is absorbed by water to form
carbonic acid that acts as a weak acid.
Calcium carbonates and magnesium carbonates are dissolved in carbonic acid
and are removed in a solution without leaving any residue resulting in cave
formation.
C) HYDRATION:
Hydration is the chemical addition of water.
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Minerals take up water and expand; this expansion causes an increase in the
volume of the material itself or rock.
The process is reversible and long, continued repetition of this process causes
fatigue in the rocks and may lead to their disintegration. eg. calcium sulphate
takes in water and turns to gypsum, which is more unstable than calcium
sulphate.
D) OXIDATION AND REDUCTION:
In weathering, oxidation means a combination of a mineral with oxygen to form
oxides or hydroxides.
Minerals most commonly involved in this are iron, manganese, sulphur etc.
The red colour of the iron upon oxidation turns to brown and yellow.
In this process of oxidation, rock breakdown occurs due to the disturbance caused
by the addition of oxygen.
When oxidized minerals are placed in an environment where oxygen is absent,
reduction takes place.
Biological weathering
This kind of weathering is caused by several biological activities like the growth or
movements of organisms.
They also bring conditions for physical or chemical weathering.
Grazing of animals, ploughing by human beings etc are examples of biological
weathering.
Mass Movements
These movements transfer the mass of rock debris down the slope under the direct
influence of gravity. Mass movements are very active over weathered slopes rather
than over unweathered slopes. Usual geographic agents like running water, glaciers,
wind, waves etc do not have much role to play in mass movements, and it is gravity,
which is the main driving force. Mass movements are classified into slow movements
and rapid movements.
(1) Slow movements:
A) CREEP:
It occurs on moderately steep, soil-covered slopes (doesn’t need to
be lubricated with water as in solifluction). The movement is
extremely slow and imperceptible except through extended
observation. We might notice that some of the electric posts in our
region which are posted in sloppy areas deviated from their
horizontal linearity. This is an effect of creep.
B) SOLIFLUCTION:
It is the process of slow downslope flowing of soil mass or fine-
grained rock debris saturated or lubricated with water. It can be
said as a type of creep with lubricated water influences the
movement. It mainly occurs in permafrost regions as the layers of
groundwater are occupied in between permanently frozen soil and
rocks.
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(2) Rapid movements
A) EARTHFLOW:
The movement of water-saturated
clayey or silty earth materials down
low angle terraces or hillsides is
called earthflow.
B) MUDFLOW:
In the absence of vegetation and
cover and with heavy rainfall, thick
layers of weathered materials get
saturated with water and either slow
or rapidly flow down along definite
channels is called as a mudflow.
C) DEBRIS AVALANCHE:
It is more in humid regions with or
without vegetation. It occurs in
narrow tracks on steep slopes and is
similar to snow avalanche.
D) LANDSLIDES:
In landslides, the materials involved are relatively dry irrespective of the above said
rapid mass movements. Landslides can be classified into a slump, debris slide,
rockslide etc.
Slump: It is a type of landslide in
which the slipping of several units
of rock debris occurs with a
backward rotation with respect to
the slope over which the
movement takes place.
Debris slide: In this type of
landslide, there is no backward
rotation. The fall is almost vertical.
Rockslide: It is nothing but the
slide of individual rock masses.
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Erosion and Deposition
Erosion is the acquisition and transportation of rock debris by geomorphic agents
like running water, the wind, waves etc.
Though weathering aids erosion, it is not a pre-condition for erosion to takes place. (i.e.,
erosion can take place in unweathered conditions also)
The deposition is a consequence of erosion. The erosional agents lose their velocity
and energy on gentle slopes and materials carried by them start to settle themselves.
Note: Deposition is not the work of any agents. It is just the end result of erosion.
MISSION 3: CONCEPT MAP
Summarize the Exogenic process by filling the missing word in the
illustration given.
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