ABSTRACT
Often confusion arises in the use of these terms, with the student often interchanging them. This is especially true of erosion and weathering. The instructor should therefore be certain that the student understands the basic weathering and erosion processes, a key element being the transport mechanisms involved in erosion and subsequent deposition. Denudation may then be viewed as the total system outcome of these processes, including mass movement. Another area that sometimes causes problems is the concept of differential weathering within the same rock type. Students readily accept different rates of weathering between rock types but have difficulty at the single rock-type scale. It is a useful exercise to bring in a variety of rock samples and ask them observational questions in relation to colour, texture and mineral mix. They should be able to see clear differences between the rocks with a more homogeneous make-up and those without.
