Introduction
Many processes have influenced our land thus giving it its particular shape. Ranging from the daily weathering to the very common erosion, they have shaped our country’s landscape in a dramatic manner. Great forces such as the waves from the sea and rivers have created our landscape. These forces include the processes of weathering and erosion.
Weathering
Weathering refers to the physical or chemical reaction, which occurs at the interface between the atmosphere and the rock’s surface that leads to the disintegration or decomposition of the rock. In geological terms, disintegration is the process of breaking down rocks into fragments (Mason, 2015). In common terms, this is known as mechanical or physical weathering. Decomposition has been defined as the chemical reaction, which transforms minerals and rocks into new chemical combinations. In common terms, this is known as chemical weathering. Based on the above definitions, it is clear that physical/mechanical weathering is different from chemical weathering (Dee, 2014).
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Erosion
Erosion is defined as the removal of the top layer or weathered materials from the land (Mason, 2015). The products of erosion are transported by agents such as glaciers, wind, water or gravity. Then, the material is deposited in a new environment. Together, these processes are part of the rock cycle and result in the creation of new rocks. For the longest time, erosion is one of the natural processes, which have been occurring throughout geological period to shape our land in various forms such as coastal platforms, caves, valleys and rivers. However, human interference sometimes accelerates erosion rates. Activities such as improper grazing, cropping, and construction of houses and roads have led to massive soil erosion and landslides.
How Weathering and Erosion Shape Landscapes
Erosion has been defined as the carrying away of topsoil and rocks by gravity, water, and wind (Mason, 2015). Erosion, especially coastal is the greatest influence that has shaped our land. Coastal erosion refers to the process whereby the sea erodes the rock. This has been categorized into three segments namely chemical, abrasive and hydraulic. Hydraulic action occurs when the biggest share of air and seawater is forced into cracks of rocks leading to the eventual erosion.
The above picture is an example of coastal erosion. The waves eroded the weaker section of the rock that later became separated from the bigger rock. The separate rock is a leftover of the big rock. Abrasive occurs when small particles of sand and rock floating in the sea crashes onto the rocks leading to erosion. Chemical refers to acid rain that eats away the rocks and the salt components in the sea thus eroding the rock (Dee, 2014).
The above picture of a hole in the rock is another example of coastal erosion. The wave sought the easiest way to wear and break down the rock, eventually turning it into a hole (Dee, 2014). In common terms, this is what we call weathering. It refers to the process of constantly wearing and breaking down the rock. There are two types of weathering; physical and chemical. In chemical weathering, chemical substances such as acid in rainwater slowly dissolve and eat away the rocks. A good example is limestone rocks that are dissolved by rainwater hence causing gorges and caves. Examples of such gorges and caves include the Canterbury and the Castle Hill basin that have emerged because of rainwater dissolving limestone (Dee, 2014).
Physical weathering is the process whereby rocks break away apart in blocks, grains, and sheets. There are three types of physical weathering. They include biological, freeze-thaw and exfoliation. Biological is whereby the mosses, lichens, and bacteria eat away the rock’s surface through the production of a chemical (Dee, 2014). Roots’ growth and animals’ burrowing is also known as biological weathering. A good example of biological weathering is a hole in the rock. The mosses growing on the rocks produce chemicals, which make it to have cracks. Exfoliation occurs when the sun warms rocks, causing them to expand and then when they cool down at night they shrink (Dee, 2014). The outer layer is directly exposed to the sun, which makes it expand more. In the end, it separates from the rock and peels itself off. Freeze-thaw occurs when water penetrates into cracks in rocks and then freezes and makes the rocks to expand (Dee, 2014). The rising and falling of water temperature make the crack to grow slowly to a point where the rock breaks apart.
Erosion and weathering gradually chisel, polish and eventually buff the Earth’s rock, turning it a work of art and then washes the remains into the sea (Mason, 2015). The two processes are not exclusive but definitively independent. Weathering refers to the physical or chemical hammer that breaks the rock’s surface causing the disintegration or decomposition of the rock. Erosion is the process of transporting away the fragments of broken rocks. These processes work together to create and reveal marvels of nature ranging from polished cliffs in violent seas, sandstone arches in the desert and tumbling boulders in the mountains. Without the erosive nature of the wind and water, rock debris would accumulate where it forms and block us from viewing the natural weathered sculptures.
Conclusion
To this end, it is clear that the two processes of weathering and erosion work together to shape our landscape and are thus linked together. The massive forces of shaping our landscape have obviously shaped our land through the two processes. None of them occurs indecently; instead, they always follow one another. These two processes have and will continue to shape our country’s landscape.
References
Dee, W. (2014). Erosion and weathering . New York, NY: PowerKids Press.
Mason, J. A. (2015). Physical Geography: The Global Environment . Oxford: Oxford University Press, Incorporated.
