Name: ________________________________________________________ Block: ____ Date: _______________
Interactive Weathering and Erosion
Directions: Go to the following website 
http://www.as.uky.edu/academics/departments_programs/EarthEnvironmentalSciences/EarthEnvironmentalSciences/E
ducational%20Materials/Documents/elearning/module07swf.swf and complete the questions.
Slide Title  Weathering Overview: read the screen and answer the questions below.
1. What is weathering?
2. What is mechanical weathering?
3. What is chemical weathering?
4. Describe differences between mechanical and chemical weathering.
5. What two processes are “intimately” involved in weathering?
6. What type of climate conditions enhance (speed up) chemical weathering?
7. What type of climate conditions enhance physical weathering?
8. What is a “rain shadow” effect? Explain what causes it (use pictures to help with your explanation).
Click the “Next” button and advance to slide title  Mechanical Weathering Overview: read and answer the questions
below.
1. Define mechanical weathering.
2. List seven different types of mechanical weathering.
Click the “Next” button and advance to slide title  Mechanical Weathering – Frost: read and answer the questions
below.
1. Why is water one of the most effective processes of mechanical weathering?
2. Where does most frost wedging occur?
3. Why can’t the water expand upwards when freezing in a crack of a rock?
Click the “Next” button and advance to slide title  Mechanical Weathering – Exfoliation: read and answer the
questions below.
1. In what regions does most exfoliation occur?
2. What is exfoliation?
3. Why do rocks break off in layers parallel to the rock face?
4. Which rock type does exfoliation most commonly occur on?
Click the “Next” button and advance to slide title  Mechanical Weathering – Thermal Expansion: read and answer the
questions below.
1. Where does thermal expansion and contraction mostly occur?
2. Are rocks good conductors of heat?
3. Is thermal expansion and contraction a slow or fast process? What other factors can help a rock break apart
once thermal expansion has begun?
4. Can fires fracture rock? If yes, how?
Click the “Next” button and advance to slide title  Mechanical Weathering – Crystal Growth: read and answer the
questions below.
1. What type of environment does crystal growth occur in?
2. Why is the environmental setting for weathering by crystal growth fairly restricted?
3. During winter why should you be careful about how much salt is put on icy roads or walkways?
Click the “Next” button and advance to slide title  Mechanical Weathering – Tree Roots: read and answer the
questions below.
1. Where does tree root growth occur most often?
2. Explain how tree roots break apart rock.
Click the “Next” button and advance to slide title  Mechanical Weathering – Abrasion: read and answer the questions
below.
1.
Where does abrasion occur?
2. What is abrasion?
3. Where is abrasion typically the harshest?
Click the “Next” button and advance to slide title  Chemical Weathering – Overview: read and answer the questions
below.
1. What is chemical weathering?
2. List three types of chemical weathering.
3. What type of climate is optimal for chemical weathering?
4. How do plant rootlets cause chemical weathering?
5. Why is soil an effect of chemical weathering?
Click the “Next” button and advance to slide title  Chemical Weathering – Dissolution: read and answer the questions
below.
1. Where does most dissolution occur?
2. What is dissolution? Give a couple of examples.
3. What role does acids plays in chemical weathering with regards to dissolution? Be specific.
4. What types of climates are particularly suited to enhancing dissolution reactions?
5. What type of climate produces karst?
Click the “Next” button and advance to slide title –> Chemical Weathering – Oxidation: read and answer the questions
below.
1. What type of region does most oxidation occur in?
2. What is oxidation? Describe the process. Also, give an example.
Click the “Next” button an advance to slide title  Chemical Weathering – Hydrolysis: read and answer the questions
below.
1. Explain hydrolysis.
2. What type of regions is hydrolysis most common?
3. How do clays form?
4. How does soil, a renewable resource, become a nonrenewable resource?