Geologic Processes

on Earth
•The term "geological processes"
describes the natural forces that shape
the physical makeup of a planet.

•Plate tectonics, erosion, chemical

weathering and sedimentation are all
examples of forces that significantly
affect the Earth’s surface and account
for its major features.
•These processes are closely studied
by geologists and earth scientists to
improve their understanding of the
planet’s history; to help locate useful
resources, and to aid the prediction of
potentially disastrous events, such as
earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic
eruptions.
* Geologic processes are broken
down into two categories:

1. Exogenous (external)

2. Endogenous (internal)
EXOGENOUS PROCESSES
- This process occur on or near the surface of the
Earth.

- They are usually influenced or driven by gravity,

water, wind, and organisms.

- These could be destructive occurrences that leave

significant changes on the landscape and even in
the ecosystem of an area. In extreme cases, these
process can wipe out majority of the organisms
inhabiting that area.
1. Weathering
* Physical Weathering
* Chemical Weathering
2. Erosion
3. Mass Wasting
4. Sedimentation
1. Weathering
• It is the disintegration of rocks, soil, and
minerals together with other materials
through contact with Earth’s subsystems.
• It happens even without movement or
transportation (as opposed to erosion that
involves movement)
• The breaking down of soil and rocks
happen on the spot.
a. Physical Weathering
• It is the breakdown of rocks by mechanical forces
concentrated along rock fractures.
• This can occur due to changes, whether sudden or
not, in temperature, pressure, etc.

Example:
* Soil cracks because of extreme heat and
drought. In some cases water, wind or ice may abrade
or scrape rocks or soil.
Examples of weathering
b. Chemical Weathering
• The process by which rocks breakdown by
chemical reaction.
• In this process, new or secondary minerals develop
and sometime replace the original properties of the
minerals in the original rocks or soil.

• Oxidation – the reaction of a substance with

oxygen.
• Hydrolysis – the chemical breakdown of a
substance when combined with water.
• Another contributor of chemical weathering is Acid
Rain which may cause metal or stone to corrode or
deteriorate and change their properties because of
the reaction to acids by some of the minerals in the
soil and rocks that make them up.
2. Erosion
• It is the process by which Earth’s surface is worn
away by wind, water, or ice.
• The process of erosion moves rock debris or soil
from one place to another.
• Erosion takes place when there is rainfall, surface
runoff, flowing rivers, sea water intrusion, flooding,
freezing and thawing, hurricanes, winds, etc.
• These are forces of nature, whether violent or
passive, capable of exfoliating and scraping Earth’s
surface and exposing the layers underlying it.
• Movement of land animals during migration or
stampede can also cause erosion.
• Human activities such as deforestation ,
overgrazing, and mining also cause erosion.
• These massive activities can cause deterioration
and destruction of infrastructure.
3. Mass Wasting
• This refers to movement of large masses of
materials down a slope or steep-sided hill or
mountain due to the pull of gravity.
• It is very destructive in areas with increased water
flow, steep slopes, scarce or no vegetation, or
vibrating or moving grounds.
a. Debris flow happens when a large amount of
sediments , usually rocks of various sizes, falls
down the slope. Unlike a landslide, debris flow
does not need water to flow down.

DEBRIS FLOW IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA

b. Mudflow happens when combined soil and
water flow down a slope. This usually happens near
rivers or streams where soil or sand is always moist
or has been soaked in water for a long time. The
weight of the mudflow indicates the severity of risk
when it follows down the community

Mudflow in Los Angeles

Slump in north bismarck
4. Sedimentation

Because geologic process is constant, ocean basins change

in size and depth. The change depends on the rate of
erosion in their surrounding continental masses or by ocean
ridges.
Cayuga lake sediment
Endogenous Processes
• The endogenous processes on Earth take place
within or in the interior of the Earth.
• The driving force is the thermal energy of the
mantle.
• Most of the thermal energy originates from the
decay and disintegration of radioactive elements in
the Earth’s core.
• The endogenous processes on Earth are responsible
for the earthquakes, development of continents,
mountain building, volcanic activities and other
movements related to Earth’s crust.
1. Magmatism
• Magma is the original material that make up
igneous rocks.
• Originally found beneath the surface of Earth,
magma is very hot and is constantly moved by the
internal heat that reaches the mantle of Earth
through convective flow.
• Magmatism happens when magma is generated and
develops into igneous (magmatic) rocks.
• The process can take place either under the surface
or on the surface of Earth.
2. Volcanism (or Plutonism)
• It is the process that usually happens after magma
is formed.
• Magma tries to escape from the source through
openings such as volcanoes or existing cracks on
the ground.
• Magma comes out with extreme heat and pressure
and may cause destructive explosions.
• As soon as the magma reaches the surface of Earth,
it is now called lava.
3. Metamorphism
• It is the process of changing the materials that make
up a rock.
• The chemical components and geologic
characteristics of the rock change due to heat and
pressure that are increasing or decreasing.
• The mineral in the rock may change even if the
rock does not melt.
• It should be noted that rocks changing due to
weathering and sedimentation are not considered to
have undergone metamorphism.
Types of Stress That Influence Rock Behavior
• The geologic processes that occur on Earth cause
stress on rocks.
• Geological stress is the force (from the pushing and
pulling of plates) that acts on the rocks thereby
creating different behavior or characteristics.
1. Compressional
• In compressional stress, rocks push or squeeze
against one another.
• The stress produced is directed toward the center.
• Hence, when these rocks meet, the orientation
could either be horizontal or vertical.
• Horizontally, the crust may thicken or shorten.
• Vertically, the crust can thin out or break off.
• Compressional stress is usually what takes place in
folding, which results in mountain building.
2. Tensional
• In tensional stress, rocks and pulled apart.
• Rocks may separate in in opposite directions or
move farther away from one another.
• It is speculated that this type of stress is what
separated all the continents in the world during the
breaking away of the supergiant continent known
as Pangaea.
3. Shear
• Some of the portions of a plate at the edges may
break away in different directions, eventually
making the plate smaller in size.
• Depending on the conditions of the environment,
shear stress usually happens at different rates at the
boundaries of the plate.
• The friction caused by this stress can cause
earthquake.
4. Confining
• In confining stress, the crust becomes compact, making it
look smaller.
• This is different from shearing as none of the crust’s
edges break away.
• However, if breaking away happens, it would come from
the inside. This may retain the shape of the crust but not
its weight.
• In short, nothing may seem to has changed in the
appearance of the crust because changes have occurred
inside.
• Confining stress can cause sinkholes where the inside
portion of the ground has already disintegrated without
being apparent.
On your Notebook:

1. What are you going to do to avoid

the occurrence of the geologic
events?
2. Give an example where geologic
events occur and what are the
effects of this in your community.