ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a basic grounding in the principles of geology and explains how to apply them. Weathering is the physical and chemical processes that break down rock and turn it into sediment. Physical weathering includes breaking of rock by releasing confining pressure or cooling during uplift and erosion. Physical weathering also includes the mechanical breakdown of rocks by growing roots, especially tree roots that grow into existing cracks and wedge them apart. Chemical weathering requires water, oxygen, or biologic activity. Erosion is the process of wearing away the Earth's surface and moving material downslope, whether by flowing water, ice, wind, or waves. This process is driven by gravity and leads to lowered elevation and low relief landscapes. Deposition is the process where the agents of erosion dump material in low areas. It is the source of all sedimentary rocks. The study of landscapes is called geomorphology. Landscapes are the result of erosion and deposition.
