EARTH & LIFE SCIENCE

Lesson 7: Formation of Fossil Fuels

Introduction

• Exogenic processes are processes that take place at or near the earths surface, that makes the
surface wear away.

There are three types of Exogenic processes weathering, erosion and mass movement (mass
wasting).

Weathering is the disintegration and decomposition of rock at or near the Earth surface. It occurs
in situ, that is, particles stay put and no movement is involved. There are two kinds of weathering:
physical weathering and chemical weathering.

1. Physical Weathering also known as mechanical

weathering refers to the breakdown of rocks without a change in
its composition.

2. Chemical Weathering is the decomposition of rocks due to

chemical reactions occurring between the minerals in rocks and
the environment.

Weathering processes can vary in rate, creating sediments and oftentimes these sediments are
transported throughout the environment.

Most Essential Learning Competency

6. Explain how the products of weathering are carried away by erosion and
deposited elsewhere. (S11/12ES-Ib-12)

Try this!
“Answer Student Activity Sheet—Introduction to Weathering”
 Think Ahead!

How does Weathering differ from Erosion?

When the smaller rock pieces (now pebbles, sand or soil) are moved by these natural forces, it is called
erosion. So, if a rock is changed or broken but stays where it is, it is called weathering. If the pieces of
weathered rock are moved away, it is called erosion.
Read and Ponder

(Abstraction)

PROCESSES THAT CAN CAUSE PHYSICAL WEATHERING

1. THERMAL AND PRESSURE CHANGE

Rocks crumble and break into fragments because they are subjected to alternating hot and cold
temperatures many times.
When a rock gets hot, it expands an increase in volume), while at night, the rock gets cold causing
contraction (a decrease in volume).
Temperature weakens the rock and in the process, mineral grains are loosened from the rocks and
eventually the rocks break down into pieces. Best examples are the stone in the arid desert that slowly
turn to sand.
The rates of expansion and contraction of the outer and inner parts of the rock differ. The outer
part expands and contracts much more than the inner part because it is directly exposed to the heat of
the sun.

2. WIND AND WAVES

Wind and waves can all cause physical weathering. Tiny grains of sand are picked up and carried
off by the wind, which are then blasted on the surface of rocks, smoothening them.
On the seashore, the action of waves chips away and cracks the rocks.

3. FREEZE AND THAW

You know that if you put a glass in the freezer it will soon break. This is because water expands
when it freezes. Similarly, when water collects in the rock pores and slits, it expands when it freezes.
4. ORGANIC ACIVITY
Animals and plants also take a heavy toll on rocks and cause them to wear away.
For example, there are animals that dig holes on the ground and exposed rocks.

PROCESSES THAT CAN CAUSE CHEMICAL WEATHERING

1.HYDRATION/ HYDROLYSIS
Process where molecules of some substance in rocks chemically combine with water molecules

2. CARBONATION
Process where Carbon Dioxide may bond with other substances. A mixture of water and carbon
dioxide is called carbonic acid. Two examples of carbonation weathering are The Limestone Pavement
and The Stalactites.
3. OXIDATION
Iron, aluminum, copper, and sodium are examples of minerals that readily react with oxygen
which then form mineral oxides. In nature, physical and chemical weathering typically occur together,
affecting the rocks. When the latter is destroyed, valuable products are created.

Erosion
Involves the movement of the weathered rock (snow, soil, sand and pebbles) from their site of
weathering by the agents of erosion such as wind, moving water, ice and gravity.
Weathering dos not always occur before erosion. Erosion always follows after the weathering. •
Transport makes erosion complete. It complete the movement of the eroded materials and
sediments. Weathering can continue during transport.

Transport by the Water

Rainwater is the most important force or agent of erosion. When there is heavy rain, rock pieces
are carried downstream to a suited depositional environment with the action of gravity.
Gravity is the driving force and it gives water the energy to erode and carry away rock materials.
Physical weathering dominates at higher elevation while Chemical weathering takes on a more
active role at lower elevation.
Water can carry almost any size of rocks. The greater the volume of water and the steeper the
slope, the bigger and more rocks can be transported.
Serious problems in the Philippines are soil erosion and mudslide
Rock materials are loosened by heavy rains and strong winds and they can come speeding down
slopes, sweeping everything in its path.

Transport by the Wind

Wind continuously blows away loose particles of rocks and soil from place to place. This is
common in dry areas such as deserts. Wind transport can result in stunning landscapes as sand is blown
away and creates sand dunes. Wind can create sandstorms that contain dust particles and deposit them
in wide areas.

Mass movement (mass wasting)

o slope movement
o bulk movements of soil, sand, and rock debris downslopes in response to the force of
gravity or the rapid or gradual sinking of the Earth’s ground surface in a vertical direction.
The term “mass wasting” was limited only to the variety of processes by which large masses of
crustal materials are moved by the action of gravity form one place to another.
Recently, the term “mass wasting” has been substituted to include mass wasting processes and the
sinking of the Earth’s ground.
Mass wasting is a type of erosion that is capable of making big chances to a mountain.
Sinking mass movement that occurs in a relatively rapid fashion is known as subsidence; and a
gradual movement is called settlement.
Subsidence involves the roof collapse or breakdown of a subsurface cavity forming a cave.
There is also subsidence in the form of sinkholes caused by underground drainage.
 See if you can do this

Identify the agent of erosion that can play a role on the transportation of the weathered materials on the
given pictures and describe how these agents have contributed to the appearance of the different landforms
or occurrences.
ANSWER:

On November 26, 1993, the sand dunes were declared as a National Geological Monument, with a marker
unveiled near Barangay Calayab in Laoag City “in recognition of its scientific value s as a unique coastal
land form developed by erosional and depositional process due to ocean, river and wind interaction.”

The main cause of the erosion that formed the Grand Canyon was water; most scientists agree that it
formed when the Colorado River started carving through layers of volcanic rock and sediment between
five million and six million years ago.

The usual method of forming a sea arch is that a headland focuses incoming waves around its point and
onto its flanks

The destabilization and catastrophic failure of landslides triggered by retreating glaciers is an expected
outcome of global climate change and poses a significant threat to inhabitants of glaciated mountain
valleys around the globe. Of particular importance are the formation of landslide‐dammed lakes, outburst
floods, and related sediment entrainment. Based on field observations and remote sensing of a deep‐
seated landslide, located at the present‐day terminus of the Great Aletsch Glacier.

because the landslide was followed with heavy rainfall and a minor earthquake.

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References:
https://www.slideshare.net/AbbieMahinay/earth-materials-and-processes-exogenic-process?qid=f874fae7-96a7-478d-
a964-4981e029e6ac&v=&b=&from_search=2
https://teachearthscience.org/weathering.html
https://bit.ly/ZCcapSLET
Moncada, M. et. al (2016). Earth and Life Science for Senior High School
 Student Activity
Research Collection Sheet

Mt. Washington Mt. Everest

Area/Length of Mountain Area/Length of Mountain

6,288 feet [1,917 metres] 8,850

Elevation Elevation

1,917 m 8,849
Location Location

New Hampshire It is located between Nepal and Tibet, an

autonomous region of China.
Solukhumba District
Associated Mountain Range Associated Mountain Range
Presidential Range

Geological makeup (types of rocks) Geological makeup (types of rocks)

Sedumentry, volcanic and quartz diorite The sedimentary rock layers found on Mount Everest
include limestone, marble, shale, and pelite; below
Albee formation, the Ordovician, Ammonoosuc them are older rocks including granite, pegmatite
volcanics, and the Devonian Littleton formation. All intrusions, and gneiss, a metamorphic rock. The
these rocks have undergone high-grade upper formations on Mount Everest and neighboring
metamorphism, and such minerals as andalusite, Lhotse are filled with marine fossils.
sillimanite, staurolite, garnet, tourmaline, actinolite,
and diopside are present.
Geographic makeup (flora/fauna) Geographic makeup (flora/fauna)
Tundra
Lichens and grass Mt Everest flora and fauna

List of Sources (MLA/APA Formatting) List of Sources (MLA/APA Formatting)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Everest

https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsabulletin/article https://www.liveabout.com/geology-of-mount-
-lookup/57/3/261 everest-755308#:~:text=The%20sedimentary
%20rock%20layers%20found,are%20filled%20with
%20marine%20fossils.

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/
mount-everest/#:~:text=Mount%20Everest%20is
%20a%20peak,the%20tallest%20point%20on
%20Earth.
Construction of Explanation:
Claim:
Mountain A is probably younger than Mountain A.
Mountain A is probably older than Mountain B.
Mountains A and B are the same age.

Evidence:
Use evidence from your research of the two mountains or use the statistics from the Mountain Age probe provided
and observations from photos and images.

Reasoning:
Use the reading to gather scientific principles of mountain formation to support your evidence.

Now revise your explanation on the “Mountain Age” probe that your teacher has provided based on your evidence
and reasoning.
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/mount_washington.html#:~:text=Mount%20Washington%20is%20a
%20composite,old%20according%20to%20carbon%20dating.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/hillary/archive/evefacts.htm#:~:text=Age%3A%20approximately
%2060%20million%20years,Mother%20Goddess%20of%20the%20Earth.%22

According to my research in 1865 the mountain previously known as Peak XV by the British was officially ramed
Everest. Mount Everest is approximately 60 million years of age. Mount Washington is a composite volcano in the Cascade
Range of Oregon. The mountain dates to the Late Pleistocene , However it does have a line of basaltic andesite spatter cones
on its northeast flank which are approximately 1,330 years old according to carbon dating. Therefore Mount Washington is
older than Mount Everest.