ENDOGENIC PROCESSES

endogenic
endjenik/

Adjective GEOLOGY

Formed, located or occurring beneath the surface of the earth.

WHAT IS ENDOGENIC PROCESS?

Endogenic Processes are geological processes that occur beneath the surface of the Earth.
It is associated with energy originating in the interior of the solid earth.
The ground we live on is moving all the time. The Forces within the earth that cause the
ground to move are called ENDOGENIC FORCES.

HOW DOES ENDOGENIC PROCESS WORKS?

When the ground moves, Rock layers at the surface of the earth are broken, twisted and
shaken.
Land is destroyed in many places and created in other places.
When the land is shaped by Endogenic Forces we call this ENDOGENIC PROCESSES.

THE MAIN ENDOGENIC PROCESSES

The Main Endogenic Processes are FOLDING & FAULTING or Tectonic Movements.
They take place mainly along the plate boundaries, which are the zones that are not
stable.
Endogenic processes cause many major landform features.

FOLDING

When two forces push towards each other from opposite sides, the rock layers will bend
into folds.
The process by which folds are formed are due to compressional forces known as folding.
There are large-scale and small-scale folds. Large-scale folds are found mainly along
destructive plate boundaries.
Illustration: Folding

Illustration: Folding
FAULTING

Faulting is the fracturing and displacement of more brittle rock strata along a fault plane
either caused by tension or compression.
A break in rock along which a vertical or horizontal rock movement has occurred is
called a fault.
The process of forming a fault is faulting.
The line of fault which appears on land surface is known as fault line.
These lines are often lines of weakness which allow molten rock to rise up onto the earth
surface when there is active volcanic activity nearby.

TYPES OF FAULTING

There are three types of fault which are caused by different endogenic forces:

- Normal fault (Convergence)

- Reverse fault (Divergence)
- Tear fault (Transform)

Faulting forms two major landforms - block mountains and rift valleys.

Illustrations of Faulting
 Illustrations of Faulting

OTHER ENDOGENIC PROCESSES (SUBSEQUENT)

These are Endogenic Processes that are subsequent to the main ones.

Volcanism (Volcanic Activity)

Metamorphism
Earthquake (Seismic Activity)

VOLCANISM

VOLCANISM or magmatism (also known as volcanic activity or igneous activity)

Magma beneath the crust is under very great pressure. When folding and faulting occur,
cracks or fractures which are lines of weakness are created.
When these lines of weakness develop downward in the crust and reach the magma, they
will release the pressure in the magma.
This allows magma to rise up along the lines of weakness and intrude into the crust.
Some magma may even reach the earth's surface and some dont.
 Illustration of Volcanism

There are two types of

Volcanism: Intrusive
volcanism and Extrusive
volcanism.

Results of Volcanism
METAMORPHISM

Metamorphism is an endogenic process which occurs when there is pressure and heat applied to
geologic structures which leads to the formation of Metamorphic Rocks.

Illustration of Metamorphism

Results of Metamorphism
 Grading Metamorphic Rocks

EARTHQUAKES

An Earthquake or (Seismic Activity) is a sudden shaking or vibration in the earths crust.

When plates suddenly move past each other, the built-up strain is released along the fault,
and the rock fractures.
An earthquake also can be triggered by molten rock moving up into the chamber of a
volcano before eruption.

Illustrating Earthquake