Processes of the

Earth
• Earth our planet undergoes constant change – formation or
deformation – much of which is visible on its surface.
• This change is brought by processes called “geological processes.”
• These processes are divided into two, namely, exogenous processes
and endogenous processes.
 • Exogenic – coming
from or relating to
the surface of the
Earth.
• Exogenous processes
originate externally
about the Earth.
• External here means
that the source of
energy of these
processes is not the
Earth itself but
Exogenous Process outside of Earth.
 Sun – the sun’s energy is carried by the wind, water,
etc.
Gravity – for example, a rock high up on a mountain
will eventually fall or roll down the Earth due to
gravity.
Living organisms – their activities, whether physical
or chemical, provide an energy source for exogenic
processes.

Sources of Exogenous Processes

 Destructive Processes

•Exogenous processes are destructive

in nature as they are involved in
tearing down of landforms as well as
breaking down of rocks into smaller
pieces or fragments.
 Weathering

Types of Erosion
Exogenous
Mass Wasting or Mass
Processes Movement

Deposition
 Is the breakdown or
disintegration of rocks and their
minerals into smaller fragments
and/or decay and
transformation into other
substances.
Weathering
Weathering can be divided
into two phases:
disintegration and
transformation.
 Breakdown of rocks and their
minerals result from physical
weathering.

Disintegratio Physical weathering is akin to

n physical change.

Rocks change in both shape and

size, but the rocks do not change
in chemical composition.
Transformation
Transformation or the formation of a new substance out of the
rocks of their minerals result from chemical weathering.

It brings about the decay or the rock and its minerals into a
new compound or substance.
This is akin to chemical change – new material/s with new
properties develop/s from the rock and its minerals when
acted upon by agents of chemical weathering.
The agents usually water and atmospheric gasses
such as oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Chemical reactions that can cause
rocks of transformation or decay.
This takes place when components of the minerals
combine with free oxygen in the atmosphere causing
the formation of oxides.

Example – magnetite + Oxygen = hematite

Oxidation
Hydration
• This occurs when water
becomes integrated into the
minerals causing the mineral
crystals to change in
structure, soften and easily
crumble.
• Example – bauxite + water =
hydrated aluminum oxide.
 Carbonation

This occurs when

carbon dioxide Example – Calcite
dissolves in water + carbonic acid =
forming carbonic acid calcium
that can cause rocks to bicarbonate
dissolve.
 This takes place when water
dissociates into ions forming a weak
acid that can dissolve rocks.

Example – orthoclase + water =

acid slit clay + potassium
Hydrolysis hydroxide
Living things can cause chemical
weathering when, for example
organisms produce acid that can
dissolve the mineral component of
the rocks.
Erosion
 •This is the
exogenous process
that actually brings
about the transfer
Erosion or transport of
weathered rocks
and minerals from
their place or origin
to a new place.
Factors that causes Erosion
 • Can effectively transport
weathered materials
especially of these are
already very fine.
• This can take place in rivers
where water currents is
strong or during flash floods
where a huge volume of
water brings it a very strong
force.
• This is evident in our
country during rainy
Running Water seasons when the waters in
our rivers turn brown due
to the load of soil particles.
 • Can carry with it rock fragments
or even tons of very fine
particles and deposit them
somewhere else.
Strong Wind • A very good example would be
how wind shapes the sand
dunes in deserts or beaches or
how it causes sandstorms not
only on Earth but even on Mars.
 Gravity
• Pulls materials toward the center of the Earth. Thus, materials
from upper places will eventually fall to the lowest level.
• This is seen in landslides.
• Gravity is not working alone it works in tandem.
• Wind and running water.
• Example: a strong wind can carry small fragments or particles,
but when wind power is exhausted, gravity takes over.
 • Although not usual in
the Philippines, in
some countries
icebergs are found in
high places, in high
mountains.
• By the action of gravity,
gradually move or
creep downward and in
the process break up
Iceberg rocks along the way.
 • This refers to processes that
bring about the transport of
materials – rocks, rock
fragments, soil particles –
along a slope due mainly to
the action of gravity.
• This is differentiated from
erosion in the sense that
erosion is caused mainly by
flowing agents (water and
wind) and gravity.
• While mass wasting is
primarily due to gravity.
Mass Wasting or Mass • The term “mass” implies large
volume of Earth materials that
Movement are gravitationally moved
along the slope.
 1. Landslide – refers to the movement
of mass of earth materials such as
rocks, debris, or soil downward along
a slope.
2. Avalanche – refers to the rapid
movement down a slope or a mass of
Types of Mass earth materials like rocks, ice, snow
or debris.
Wasting 3. Rockfall – refers to the sudden
movement and fall of rocks.
4. Creep – refers to the slow downward
movement along a slope of loose and
unconsolidated earth materials such
as rocks, dust, and even soil that lie
on top of a layer of bedrock.
 Deposition
• The third exogenous process is deposition which
means the settling down of transported
materials (rock and mineral fragments, soil
particles or sediments).
• When the agent of erosion can no longer carry
the materials, and therefore the force of gravity
takes over.
• Where the transported materials settle down or
deposited is called the point of deposition.
• Deposition takes place in low lying areas such as
bottom of lakes or oceans; base of hills or
mountains; ends of glaciers; and river deltas.
Deposition at the end of the Glaciers
Deposition at the
river delta
Deposition at the base of the mountain
Deposition at the bottom of the lake
 Exogenous
Processes of Extra-
terrestrial Origin
Exogenous Processes of Extra-terrestrial
Origin
• There are exogenous processes that are literally outside of our planet.
• Extra-terrestrial bodies, like the sun and the moon as well as comets,
asteroids and meteors are exogenous forces that for billions of years
have helped shaped the surface of our planet.
The Sun and Moon
The sun and moon exert
gravitational attraction upon the
Earth resulting in tides in the ocean,
which in turn have an effect on the
surface feature of the Earth.
The moon’s gravitational pull upon
the Earth also has an effect on the
solid portion of the planet.
Comets and Meteors
• Another source of exogenous
processes would be comets and
meteors from outer space that
collided with our planet causing
impacts on our planet
• Craters, tidal waves, leveling of
mountains, destruction of forests, etc.
• Asteroid are also potential exogenous
force when large ones would collide
with our planet.
 Leveling of land

Formation Valleys
Summary Weathering of rocks
of Effects of Formation of soil
Exogenous
Erosion of rock fragments and/or soil
Processes
Deposition of rock fragments and/or soil

Formation of sedimentary rocks

Activity
1. Supposed you were asked to describe how rocks become soil. Use
the space below to discuss the processes involved.
Endogenic Processes
 Endogenic
Meaning 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.
 It takes place within the Earth but are responsible
for the changes on the surface of the planet.
Studying these processes helps us clearly
understand why the Earth’s surface appearance
has been undergoing constant remodeling.

Endogenic
Processes
ENDOGENOUS GEOLOGICAL PROCESS
ORIGINATES FROM WITHIN THE EARTH ITSELF.
THIS MEANS THAT THE SOURCE OF ENERGY FOR
THESE PROCESSES ARISES INTERNALLY FROM THE
EARTH.
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.
 • When two forces push
Folding towards each other from
opposite sides, the rock
layers will bend into
folds.
• The processes by which
folds are formed 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 of Folding
 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.

Faulting 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’s surface when
there is active volcanic activity nearby.
 Normal Fault
(Convergence)
There are three

Types of types of fault which

are caused by
different endogenic
Reverse fault
(Divergence)
Faulting forces:
Tear fault
Faulting forms two major (Transform)
landforms – block
mountains and rift valleys
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 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 don’t.