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Difference Between Weathering and Erosion Article: Sciencing

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Difference Between Weathering and Erosion Article: Sciencing

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Weathering is the natural process that causes rock to break down over time. Erosion is the moving or shifting of those smaller pieces of broken rock by natural forces, such as wind, water or ice. Weathering must occur before erosion can take place. Fifth- and sixth-grade teachers often incorporate lessons on weathering and erosion into their science curriculum.

Weathering: Rock and Color Changes

Weathering doesn't involvement movement of the broken rock away from the primary source. There are two primary types of weathering -- chemical and mechanical. Chemical and mechanical weathering can also occur simultaneously. A less common type of weathering -- biological weathering -- occurs when fungi and bacteria decompose rock. Chemical weathering exists when rock interacts with chemicals -- oxygen, carbon dioxide, water or acids -- and the rock breaks down or changes color. Chemical weathering often occurs in caves, resulting in the formation of stalactites and stalagmites. Mechanical weathering occurs when rock formations break into smaller pieces as a result of heat from the sun, running water, shifting ice, or growing tree roots.

Examples of Weathering

Weathering occurs on the surface, or near the surface of rock. For example, wind and rain can cause smaller rocks to break away from larger rocks on the side of a mountain. Rock formations often crack and break apart when water fills fissures in the rock and the water freezes and expands.

Erosion: Movement and Relocation

Erosion always involves movement. Erosion occurs after weathering has already decomposed, loosened or broken apart pieces of rock, and the broken pieces start to move away from their original location. The rock fragments and soil -- sometimes as small as tiny sand particles -- are carried away by wind, water or irrigation. Weathering causes changes in the rock, such as color variations or decomposition, but erosion only moves the sediment from one place to another.

Erosion Illustrations

Several types of erosion exist. Mass wasting occurs when rock fragments move downhill due to gravity. Examples of mass wasting include mud slides, rock slides and debris flows after storms and significant weather events. Examples of erosion caused by air, water or ice include shoreline erosion caused by oceans, seas, rivers, streams and lakes, and embankment erosion caused by flooding. Eroded loose soil can lead to dust storms in dry regions. The Grand Canyon in Arizona and the Natural Bridge in Virginia are landmark examples of erosion.

About the Author

As curriculum developer and educator, Kristine Tucker has enjoyed the plethora of English assignments she's read (and graded!) over the years. Her experiences as vice-president of an energy consulting firm have given her the opportunity to explore business writing and HR. Tucker has a BA and holds Ohio teaching credentials.

Photo Credits

Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images

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Difference Between Weathering & Erosion for Kids

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Weathering is the natural process that causes rock to break down over time. Erosion is the moving or shifting of those smaller pieces of broken rock by natural forces, such as wind, water or ice. Weathering must occur before erosion can take place. Fifth- and sixth-grade teachers often incorporate lessons on ...

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The Difference Between Weathering and Erosion Video

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The Difference Between Weathering and Erosion Video

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Difference between Weathering and Erosion

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Weathering and Erosion Crash Course Video

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Weathering and Erosion Crash Course Video

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Weathering and Erosion: Crash Course Kids #10.2

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Legends of Learning Game: Memoria Weathering and Erosion

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Legends of Learning Game: Memoria Weathering and Erosion

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Legends of Learning Game: Weather Buster

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Legends of Learning Game: Weather Buster

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Interactive Activity: Walters Travels

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Walter's Travels - Weathering and Erosion

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Meet Walter, a friendly animal who will guide you on your quest for knowledge about erosion and weathering. You will begin your journey by doing different activities to that will simulate weathering and erosion. The game continues with a variety of activities and information.

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Ducksters Article: Weathering and Erosion

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Ducksters Article: Weathering and Erosion

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Kids learn about the Earth science subject of erosion including water, wind, and glacial erosion, fun facts, human causes, and controlling it.

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PBIS Kids News Article: Hurricane Matthew Causes Weathering and Erosion

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PBIS Kids News Article: Hurricane Matthew Causes Weathering and Erosion

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Hurricane Matthew Causes Weathering and Erosion | PBS LearningMedia

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Observe the visible effects of rapid weathering and erosion caused by Hurricane Matthew in this series of before and after images. This resource can be used to stimulate curiosity, thinking, and questions about the effects of rapid weathering and erosion on land caused by powerful waves, wind, and heavy rainfall due to a strong hurricane.

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Weathering is the breaking down of Rock (geology) rocks, soil and their minerals through direct contact with the Earth's atmosphere, waters, or living things. It is a natural process.

Weathering occurs in one place with little or no movement, and should not be confused with erosion which is when rocks and minerals are moved to another place by ice, water, wind or gravity.

Mechanical weathering

Mechanical or physical weathering is when the rocks and minerals are broken down but the Chemical composition remains the same. Mechanical weathering physically breaks up rock.

Wind can blow water or small particles such as sand against the rock thus breaking it down. The wind blowing over your skin removes body heat.local winds are the winds that blow over short distances.

Rain is another force that works slowly. The force of raindrops on some rocks make them wear down. Rain also can make a chemical change in some rocks, because it is usually slightly acidic. The water mixes with the minerals in the rock to break it down.

Temperature

Changing temperature can make a rock crack. Every day when the sun shines on the rock, its surface is heated. Heat causes the surface to expand (get bigger) a little. The inside of the rock, though, does not heat up as fast as the outside of the rock. The inside of the rock stays cooler. At night, the surface cools down and contracts. The expanding and contracting makes some places on the surface weak, and a crack is made.

Also, if water gets into a crack in a rock and the temperature goes below the freezing point, the water will freeze and expand. After some time, the rock may be weak enough to break into pieces.

Ice, which can be miles thick, grinds the surface of the rock below it. The particles are carried with the ice, and if a glacier ends up in the sea, so does all the material carried with it.

Lava or magma

Lava or magma can cause weathering when molten rock touches older rock. It causes the older rock to change form to a different crystal structure.

Chemical weathering

Chemical weathering is the breaking down of rock which changes the chemical composition.

Carbon dioxide cycle

The carbon dioxide cycle is the most important for weathering. CO ₂ is put into the atmosphere mostly by volcanoes, and it is taken out of the atmosphere by photosynthesis, and by one other process.

While it is in the air, CO ₂ can dissolve in water droplets to form weak carbonic acid.

When rain hits rock it does so with mechanical energy and dilute acid. The acid dissolves many types of minerals and rocks though, of course, very slowly. When a mineral like feldspar is dissolved, it lets sodium ions into the sea; chlorine ions come from other minerals. The sea tastes salty because of the elements which have been dissolved out of rocks.

Related pages

Images for kids

Wave action and water chemistry lead to structural failure in exposed rocks.

Pressure release could have caused the exfoliated granite sheets shown in the picture.

Weathering effect on a sandstone statue in Dresden, Germany.

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Weathering is the breaking down of Rock (geology) rocks, soil and their minerals through direct contact with the Earth's atmosphere, waters, or living things. It is a natural process. Weathering occurs in one place with little or no movement, and should not be confused with erosion which is when rocks and minerals are moved to another place by ice, water, wind or gravity.

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River water picks up and moves mud, pebbles, and larger rocks as it flows downstream. These particles rub against the riverbed and wear away more rock and soil. This kind of erosion helped to carve the Grand Canyon in the southwestern United States. Over millions of years the swiftly moving waters of the Colorado River carried away bits of earth and rock from the land. Little by little the constant rush of water dug a canyon out of a flat stretch of ground.

The pounding of ocean waves against land also causes erosion. The waves constantly move pebbles and sand on beaches. The particles rub against each other and against the rock along the coast. Over time the water and the particles wear down rock into more sand. The water then carries the new sand away.

Like waves, wind constantly carries sand and other small bits of earth from one place to another. Wind forms sand dunes and changes their shape. It also blows soil off dry farmland. As wind throws sand and soil at rock, the shape of the rock slowly changes.

The huge masses of ice called glaciers also cause erosion. Glaciers scrape away parts of the rocks and the earth below as they creep down mountain valleys. They carry this material along with them. Glaciers can even move boulders as big as houses. When the glaciers melt, the moved rocks and earth stay behind.

A landslide shows how gravity helps erosion. Wind and rain can weaken the sides of mountains and hills. Gravity then causes soil, mud, and rocks to tumble down.

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Water, wind, and other natural forces cause rocks and earth to wear away. These forces also move bits of rock and earth to new places. This movement changes the shape of the...

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The forces that cause weathering may be physical, chemical, or biological. Often, weathering results from a combination of forces.

Physical forces include changes in temperature or pressure, freezing or moving water, and wind. An increase in temperature may cause rock to expand. As the rock cools, it contracts, or shrinks. The expanding and contracting may cause the rock to crack and break apart. If heavy material on top of a rock is removed (by a glacier, for example), the pressure on the rock decreases. The release of pressure may cause the rock to split. Water that freezes inside cracks in a rock may widen the cracks. Particles carried by water or wind may slowly scrape away a rock's surface.

In chemical weathering, the minerals that make up the rock are changed. Water usually is involved in chemical weathering. Elements in the water may react with the minerals in the rock. The minerals may break down or form different minerals.

Biological weathering results from the actions of living things. The roots of plants may reach inside rock openings. Over time, they may push apart sections of rock. Lichens grow on rock surfaces or within cracks. They may wear down rock or etch patterns on its surface.

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The forces that cause weathering may be physical, chemical, or biological. Often, weathering results from a combination of forces. Physical forces include changes in temperature or pressure, freezing or moving water, and wind. An increase in temperature may cause rock to expand. As the rock cools, it contracts, or shrinks.

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Generation Genius Video: Weathering and Erosion

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Generation Genius Video: Weathering and Erosion

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The Earth's surface gets broken down through weathering.

Small pieces of the Earth get moved through erosion.

The small pieces are deposited somewhere else through a process called deposition.

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Learn about weathering, erosion & deposition! Our science video for kids teaches you how these forces of nature shape the surface of the earth! Watch now!

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OneGeology Kids Article: Weathering and Erosion

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OneGeology Kids Article: Weathering and Erosion

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Learn how rocks break down into soil and how natural forces like wind and rain can actually change the shape of Earth's surface.

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