Water, wind and glaciers (glaciers) are powerful forces that shape rock into ever-evolving forms. Furthermore, these natural processes degrade soil while wearing away shorelines and cliffs.
Weathering and erosion are only part of the story; small pieces of rock and minerals don’t vanish from existence altogether – instead, they move through erosion before depositing somewhere else.
Physical
Scotts Bluff National Monument is home to an abundance of processes involved in weathering, erosion and deposition, the most visible of which being rock slides.
Water and wind power transport sediment downhill by moving its kinetic energy, but when that kinetic energy fades away it deposits it back onto land as sediment deposits.
Abrasion occurs when rocks rub together and break apart, with its severity determined by both type of rock and its environment.
Physical Weathering involves heating and cooling rocks – for instance when water seeps into cracks of rocks then freezes and expands, it puts pressure on the rock surface and can split it apart, creating mechanical weathering known as sheeting or exfoliation.
Chemical and mechanical weathering can act together to accelerate erosion rates. Chemical weathering weakens rocks so they’re more prone to breaking physically; while mechanical weathering increases surface area of rocks and makes chemical weathering easier.
Biological
As well as physical and chemical weathering, biological activities also play a part in erosion. Plants, animals and fungi all help erode rocks by softening and cracking them up so they can then be carried off by wind, water or ice to be eroded away by wind, water or ice.
No rock or mineral can resist weathering and erosion. Although the process takes time, eventually even resistant rocks succumb to it and become worn away by weather.
At Scotts Bluff National Monument, weathering and erosion are obvious every day. From ocean waves crashing onto shore to rivers’ power to cut away riverbanks, weathering and erosion can be seen everywhere you look at Scotts Bluff National Monument. Weathering may occur slowly through clay or silt deposits forming or rapidly through mudslides; whether that happens fast is anyone’s guess! Water and wind erosion are the primary agents of erosion at Scotts Bluff National Monument, responsible for creating the sand, clay, and silt found throughout its landscape. Freeze-thaw weathering occurs when rocks expand and contract under their influence causing mechanical weathering; roots may also play a part in mechanical weathering by working into cracks in rocks through root wedging; these fossilized roots have even been recorded as rhizolith fossils!
Chemical
No rock on Earth can withstand weathering and erosion processes; every day we witness their results: rock fragments fracture in frost-ridden conditions, boulders tumble off cliffs and beaches accumulate sand deposits.
Time in its environment influences how vulnerable a rock is to physical and chemical weathering; for instance, lava that has been subterranean for some time may be less susceptible than granite exposed at its surface.
Chemical weathering occurs with any kind of rock. Most commonly, minerals dissolved in water attack the surface of a rock’s surface to weaken or even break apart its integrity.
Chemical weathering can create remarkable geological features like those found at Bryce Canyon National Park and Goblin Valley State Park in Utah; its effects include creating unique geological formations like the hoodoos found there, formed from rocks left standing after less resistant materials have been worn away by water and gravity. Physical weathering combines with chemical weathering to speed up erosion rates, such as when pebbles scraping against riverbanks cause erosion leading to sediment deposition.
Environmental
Weathering, also known as erosion, is the natural process by which rocks and minerals on Earth’s surface break down over time due to physical and chemical processes like rainwater runoff, saltwater intrusion, acid rain, plant roots, temperature variations and changes. Water, salts, acids, ice melt, temperature variations and plants often play a part. Weathering was responsible for carving the Grand Canyon over millions of years and also creating beautiful landscapes like mushroom rock formations at Scott’s Bluff National Monument.
Weathering typically occurs slowly and gradually; however, some rapid processes may also take place. The hardness of rocks and minerals determines their rate of erosion; granite wears away more gradually than softer limestone.
Weathering and erosion wear away tiny rocks, which are then deposited elsewhere through deposition. This process may occur nearby or miles away – for instance when debris washes into rivers – so it is essential to understand that weathering, erosion and deposition is part of an ongoing cycle.