Geological Processes on Earth

Geological processes are broken down into two categories:

A. EXOGENOUS (external)
B. ENDOGENOUS (internal)

A. Exogenous Processes
- The exogenous processes occur on or near the surface of 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.
TYPES OF EXOGENOUS PROCESSES:
1. WEATHERING

- It is the disintegration of rocks, soil, and minerals together with other

materials through contact with Earths subsystems.
- Environmental conditions at and near Earths surface subject rocks to
temperatures, pressures, and substances, especially water, that
contributes to physical and chemical breakdown of exposed rock.

Types of Rock Weathering:

a. Physical Weathering also known as mechanical weathering.
- Disintegrates rocks, breaking smaller fragments from a larger block or
outcrop of rock.
- For example: Soil cracks because of extreme heat or drought

b. Chemical Weathering
- Decomposes rock through chemical reactions that remove ions from the
original rock-forming minerals.
- Chemical reactions between rock-forming minerals and other matter at
Earths surface also work to break down rocks.

- The important catalysts and reactive agents performing chemical

weathering are water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide, all of which are
common in soil, precipitation, surface water, ground water, and air.
2. EROSION
- It is the process by which Earths surface is worn away by wind,
water, or ice.
- The process of erosion moves rock debris or soil from one place
when there is rainfall, surface runoff, flowing rivers, seawater
intrusion, flooding, freezing and thawing.
- These are forces of nature, whether violent or passive, capable
of exfoliating and scraping Earths surface and exposing the
layers underlying it.
3. MASS WASTING
- Also called mass movement, is a collective term for the downslope
transport of surface materials in direct response to gravity.

- This refers to the movement of large masses of materials down slope or

a steep-sided hill or mountain due to the pull of gravity.

Different forms of mass wasting:

a. Debris flow happens when a large amount of sediments
usually of various sizes, falls down the slope. Unlike
landslides, debris flow does not need water to flow down.
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.

c. Slump- is a slow movement of soil along a curved surface. In

time, the area would look curved because of the depression
formed by the sinking land.
 LEARNING TASK #4
DIRECTION: Answer the following questions in a sheet of
yellow paper. ( Copy and Answer)
1. What environmental practices can be done to minimize
the threats of exogenous processes to human safety?
2. If geological processes seem to bring risk to human safety,
where then is safe place to live? Is there even any?