Weathering and Erosion - Learning Services Home

Glencoe Science 

Chapter Resources 

Weathering 

and Erosion 

Includes: 

Reproducible Student Pages 

ASSESSMENT 

✔ Chapter Tests 

✔ Chapter Review 

HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES 

✔ Lab Worksheets for each Student Edition Activity 

✔ Laboratory Activities 

✔ Foldables–Reading and Study Skills activity sheet 

MEETING INDIVIDUAL NEEDS 

✔ Directed Reading for Content Mastery 

✔ Directed Reading for Content Mastery in Spanish 

✔ Reinforcement 

✔ Enrichment 

✔ Note-taking Worksheets 

TRANSPARENCY ACTIVITIES 

✔ Section Focus Transparency Activities 

✔ Teaching Transparency Activity 

✔ Assessment Transparency Activity 

Teacher Support and Planning 

✔ Content Outline for Teaching 

✔ Spanish Resources 

✔ Teacher Guide and Answers

Glencoe Science 

Photo Credits 

Section Focus Transparency 1: Marco Cristofori/The Stock Market 

Section Focus Transparency 2: Margaret Kois/The Stock Market 

Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 

Permission is granted to reproduce the material contained herein on the condition 

that such material be reproduced only for classroom use; be provided to students, 

teachers, and families without charge; and be used solely in conjunction with the 

Weathering and Erosion program. Any other reproduction, for use or sale, is prohibited 

without prior written permission of the publisher. 

Send all inquiries to: 

Glencoe/McGraw-Hill 

8787 Orion Place 

Columbus, OH 43240-4027 

ISBN 0-07-867195-7 

Printed in the United States of America. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 071 09 08 07 06 05 04

Reproducible 

Student Pages 

Reproducible Student Pages 

■ Hands-On Activities 

MiniLAB: Dissolving Rock with Acids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

MiniLAB: Try at Home Analyzing Soils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Lab: Classifying Soils. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

Lab: Design Your Own Measuring Soil Erosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Laboratory Activity 1: Chemical and Mechanical Weathering . . . . . . . 9 

Laboratory Activity 2: Erosion and Soil Permeability . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 

Foldables: Reading and Study Skills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 

■ Meeting Individual Needs 

Extension and Intervention 

Directed Reading for Content Mastery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 

Directed Reading for Content Mastery in Spanish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 

Reinforcement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

Enrichment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 

Note-taking Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

■ Assessment 

Chapter Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

Chapter Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

■ Transparency Activities 

Section Focus Transparency Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 

Teaching Transparency Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 

Assessment Transparency Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

Weathering and Erosion 1

Hands-On Activities 

Hands-On 

Activities 

2 Weathering and Erosion

Name Date Class 

Dissolving Rock with Acids 

Procedure 

WARNING: Do not remove goggles until lab cleanup and handwashing are 

completed. 

1. Use an eyedropper to put several drops of vinegar on pieces of chalk and 

limestone. Observe the results with a magnifying lens. Record your 

observations in the table below. 

2. Put several drops of 5% hydrochloric acid on the chalk and limestone. 

Observe the results. Record your observations. 

Data and Observations 


Vinegar 

Hydrochloric Acid 

chalk 

limestone 

Analysis 

1. Describe the effect of the hydrochloric acid and vinegar on chalk and limestone. 

Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 

2. Research what type of acid vinegar contains. 




Analyzing Soils 

Procedure 

1. Obtain a sample of soil from near your home. 

2. Spread the soil out over a piece of newspaper. 

3. Carefully sort through the soil. Separate out organic matter from weathered 

rock. 

4. Wash hands thoroughly after working with soils. 

Analysis 

1. Besides the organic materials and the remains of weathered rock, what else is present in the soil? 

2. Is some of the soil too fine-grained to tell if it is organic or weathered rock? 




Classifying Soils 

Lab Preview 

Directions: Answer these questions before you begin the Lab. 

1. What is the reason for the disposal safety precaution? 


2. How do you determine whether you have a clay soil? 

Not all soils are the same. Geologists and soil scientists classify soils based on 

the amounts and kinds of particles they contain. 


Real-World Question 

How is soil texture determined? 

Materials 

soil sample 

stereomicroscope 

*magnifying lens 

*Alternate materials 

Safety Precautions 

Goals 

■ Classify a soil using an identification key. 

■ Observe soil with a stereomicroscope. 

Procedure 

1. Place a small sample of moistened soil 

between your fingers. Then follow the 

directions in the classification key below. 

a. Slide your fingers back and forth past 

each other. If your sample feels gritty, go 

to b. If it doesn’t feel gritty, go to c. 

b. If you can mold the soil into a firm ball, 

it’s sandy loam soil. If you cannot mold 

it into a firm ball, it’s sandy soil. 

c. If your sample is sticky, go to d. If your 

sample isn’t sticky, go to e. 

d. If your sample can be molded into a 

long, thin ribbon, it’s clay soil. If your 

soil can’t be molded into a long, thin 

ribbon, it’s clay loam soil. 

e. If your sample is smooth, it’s silty loam 

soil. If it isn’t smooth, it’s loam soil. 

2. After classifying your soil sample, examine 

it under a microscope. In the space under 

Data and Observations, draw the particles 

and any other materials that you see. 

3. Wash your hands thoroughly after you are 

finished working with soils. 



(continued) 



Drawings: 

Conclude and Apply 

1. Determine the texture of your soil sample. 

2. Describe two characteristics of loam soil. 

3. Describe two features of sandy loam soil. 

4. Record Observations Based on your observations with the stereomicroscope, what types of 

particles and other materials did you see? Did you observe any evidence of the activities of 

organisms? 

Communicating Your Data 

Compare your conclusions with those of other students in your class. For more help, 

refer to the Science Skill Handbook. 




Design Your Own 

Measuring Soil Erosion 

Lab Preview 

Directions: Answer these questions before you begin the Lab. 

1. Why is it important to wash your hands when you are finished with the lab? 


2. Why does it help to use a data table? 

During urban highway construction, surface mining, forest harvesting, or 

agricultural cultivation, surface vegetation is removed from soil. These practices 

expose soil to water and wind. Does vegetation significantly reduce soil 

erosion? 


Real-World Question 

How much does vegetation reduce soil erosion? 

Form a Hypothesis 

Based on what you’ve read and observed, 

hypothesize about how a grassy field will have 

less erosion than a field that is bare soil. 

Possible Materials 

blocks of wood pails (2) 

*books 

1,000-mL beaker 

paint trays (2) 

triple-beam balance 

soil 

calculator 

grass sod 

watch 

water 


Goals 

■ Design an experiment to measure soil loss 

from grass-covered soil and from soil 

without grass cover. 

■ Calculate the percent of soil loss with and 

without grass cover. 

Safety Precautions 

Wash your hands thoroughly when you are 

through working with soils. 

Test Your Hypothesis 

Make a Plan 

1. As a group, agree upon the hypothesis 

and decide how you will test it. Identify 

which results challenge or confirm the 

hypothesis. 

2. List the steps you will need to take to test 

your hypothesis. Describe exactly what you 

will do in each step. 

3. Record your observations in the data table. 

4. Read over the entire experiment to make 

sure all steps are in logical order, and that 

you have all necessary materials. 

5. Identify all constants and variables and the 

control of the experiment. A control is a 

standard for comparing the results of an 

experiment. One possible control for this 

experiment would be the results of the 

treatment of an uncovered soil sample. 

Follow Your Plan 

1. Make sure your teacher approves your plan 

before you start. 

2. Carry out the experiment step by step as 

planned. 

3. While doing the experiment, record your 

observations and complete the data table 

on the next page. 



(continued) 



Covered soil 

sample 

Uncovered soil 

sample 

(A) Mass of 

Soil at Start 

(B) Mass of 

Eroded Soil 

Percent Soil Loss 

(B/A) ✕ 100 

Analyze Your Data 

1. Compare the percent of soil loss from each soil sample. 

2. Compare your results with those of other groups. 

3. What was your control in this experiment? Why is it a control? 

4. Which were the variables you kept constant? Which did you vary? 

Conclude and Apply 

1. Did the results support your hypothesis? Explain. 

2. Infer what effect other types of plants would have in reducing soil erosion. Do you think that 

grass is better or worse than most other plants at reducing erosion? Explain your answer. 

Communicating Your Data 

Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper. In your letter, summarize what you learned in 

your experiment about the effect of plants on soil erosion. 




1 

Laboratory 

Activity 

Chemical and Mechanical 


When chemical weathering affects rocks, a chemical reaction occurs between the minerals in 

the rocks and chemical agents. The acidity in rainwater is one agent of chemical weathering. It 

can react with certain minerals to change rocks chemically. Mechanical weathering is the result 

of physical forces only. The mechanical weathering of rocks does not change them chemically, 

only physically. 

Strategy 

You will test the acidity of the rainwater in your area. 

You will demonstrate chemical weathering using cement and vinegar. 


Materials 

5 small jars 

marker and labels 

100 mL tap water 

100 mL local rainwater 

100 mL lemon juice 

100 mL cola 

100 mL ammonia 

litmus paper strips 

small piece of cement 

beaker 

white vinegar 

20 sugar cubes 

jar with a lid 

10 pieces of pea gravel 

WARNING: Do not eat, drink, or taste any of the materials used in this lab. 


Procedure 

Part A 

1. Pour tap water into the first jar. Label the 

jar Tap Water. 

2. Pour the rainwater into the second jar. 

Label the jar Rainwater. 

3. Pour lemon juice into the third jar. Label 

the jar Lemon Juice. 

4. Pour the cola into the fourth jar. Label the 

jar Cola. 

5. Pour the ammonia into the fifth jar. Label 

the jar Ammonia. 

6. Dip the litmus paper into each jar and record 

the results in Table 1 under Data and Observations. 

(If the litmus paper turns red, it indicates 

an acidic material; if the litmus paper 

turns blue, it indicates a basic material. No 

change at all indicates a neutral material.) 

Part B 

7. Describe the piece of cement in Table 2 

under Data and Observations. 

8. Place the piece of cement in a beaker. 

9. Pour enough vinegar over the cement to 

cover it. 

10. Leave the cement and vinegar in the glass 

for two to three days. 

11. Record your observations. 

Part C 

12. Describe the appearance of the sugar cubes 

in Table 3 under Data and Observations. 

13. Place 10 sugar cubes in the jar, cover, and 

shake 20 times. 

14. Pour the contents of the jar onto a piece of 

paper. Separate the cubes and the crumbs. 

Describe the changes you observe. 

15. Repeat steps 13 and 14 using the cubes 

and crumbs from step 14. 

16. Repeat steps 13 and 14, using 10 new sugar 

cubes and the 10 pieces of pea gravel. 



Laboratory Activity 1 (continued) 



Table 1 

Materials Tested 

Tap water 

Rainwater 

Lemon juice 

Cola 

Ammonia 

Table 2 

Description of 

Cement at Start 

Color of Litmus Strip 

Description of Cement 

After Soaking in Vinegar 

Table 3 

At start 

After 1st shaking 

After 2nd shaking 

After shaking with pea gravel 

Appearance of Sugar Cubes 

Questions and Conclusions 

1. Which material in Part A was the most acidic? The least acidic? Which material was neutral? 

How could you tell? 





2. How acidic did the local rainwater test? How do you think acid rainwater contributes to the 

weathering of rocks? Based on your results, will your rainwater contribute significantly to 

chemical weathering in your area? Explain. 


3. What happened to the cement in Part B? Explain the results. 

4. Are the results obtained in Part B an example of chemical weathering or mechanical weathering? 

Explain. 

5. Were the changes you observed in the sugar cubes in Part C due to chemical or mechanical 

weathering? 


6. Did the second shaking in Part C produce different results? Did the addition of pea gravel 

produce different results? Why or why not? 

Strategy Check 

Can you test the acidity of rainwater? 

Can you demonstrate chemical weathering using cement and vinegar? 



2 

Laboratory 

Activity 

Erosion and Soil Permeability 

The permeability of soil, which describes how water can flow through the soil, can be a 

contributing factor in erosion. Soil that is very porous can have high permeability. However, if a 

soil’s pores are not connected, permeability can still be low. In order for water to flow easily, the 

pores in soil must be connected. The porosity of different soils is one factor that determines how 

erosion will affect them. 

Strategy 

You will compare the permeability of three different soil types by conducting “perc” tests. 

You will see how soils with different permeabilities are eroded by water. 



Materials 

small coffee cans with both ends removed (3) 

permanent marker 

metric ruler 

plastic tubs, about 30 cm ✕ 30 cm ✕ 30 cm (3) 

hand shovel 

sandy soil, approximately 2.5 kg 

loamy soil, approximately 2.5 kg 

clay soil, approximately 2.5 kg 

500-mL beaker 

water 

stopwatch 

*watch with second hand 

10-cm wooden block 

sprinkler can 


WARNING: Be sure to wash your hands after touching the materials used in this lab. 

Procedure 

Part A—Determining Porosity 

1. Use the marker to make a line 3 cm from 

one end of each coffee can. Label the tubs 

Sandy, Loamy, and Clay to designate the 

soil types you will be testing. 

2. Fill each of the plastic tubs with the type of 

soil that corresponds to the label. Use the 

shovel to pack down the soil. 

3. For each soil type, observe the color and 

texture of the soil and presence of any 

organisms in the soil. Record your observations 

in Table 1 in the Data and Observations 

section. 

4. Predict the permeability of each soil as low, 

medium, or high. Record your predictions 

in Table 1. 

5. Press a coffee can into the sandy soil up to 

the mark at the 3-cm line. Press a coffee 

can into each of the two other soils. 

6. Perform a “perc” test on the sandy soil by 

pouring water in the cans. Have your stopwatch 

ready to begin timing when the 

water first reaches the soil. Slowly pour 500 

mL of water from the beaker into the can 

in the sandy soil. Stop timing when all the 

water has sunk into the soil. In Table 1, 

record the amount of time it took for all 

the water to sink below the soil surface. 

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the other two soils. 

Try to keep your rate and style of pouring 

the water the same in each perc test. 





Part B—Observing Erosion 

1. Remove the cans from the tubs. Use the 

hand shovel to smooth out the soil. Make 

sure the tub is full of soil and the surface is 

level. Take the three tubs of soil outside, 

preferably to a grassy area that won’t be 

harmed by water and soil flowing onto it. 

Make certain that the amount of soil that 

will flow out can be seen and will not 

disappear into the grass 

2. Set the wooden block under one end of the 

tub with the sandy soil. The tub should be 

at a noticeable tilt. 

3. Fill the sprinkling can with water up to the 

top. Use the same amount of water when 

you test the other tubs of soil. 

4. Hold the sprinkling can about 36 cm above 

the raised end of the tub of sandy soil. 

Slowly and gently sprinkle the water over 

the soil. The water and any eroded soil will 

drain out of the lower end of the tub. 


Table 1 

Type of 

Soil 

Sandy 

Loamy 

Clay 

Characteristics 

5. Observe how much erosion occurs. 

Describe the erosion in Table 2 in the Data 

and Observations section. 

6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 for the other two 

soil types. Remember to try to keep the 

experimental conditions constant for testing 

all three tubs of soil. Control the amount of 

water you put in the sprinkling can, the 

height of the sprinkling can above the tub of 

soil, and the rate of sprinkling. 

Permeability 

Prediction 

Drainage Time 

(Seconds) 





Table 2 

Type of 

Soil 

Sandy 

Observations on Erosion 


Loamy 

Clay 

Questions and Conclusions 

1. Of the three types of soil, which was the most permeable? The least permeable? Explain how 

you know. 


2. How do your results agree with or differ from your predictions about the permeability of the 

three soil types? 

3. Describe the evidence of erosion in the three different types of soil. 





4. What relationship did you observe between the permeability of a soil and the water erosion of it? 

Strategy Check 

Can you compare the permeability of different soil types? 

Can you compare the rates and permeabilities of different soil types? 




Weathering and Erosion 

Directions: Use this page to label your Foldable at the beginning of the chapter. 



Erosion 

Both 



Meeting Individual Needs 

Meeting Individual 

Needs 



Directed Reading for 

Content Mastery 

Overview 


Directions: Use the terms in the list below to complete the concept maps. 

gravity water rock slides mudflows 

creep mechanical ice 


ice wedging and 

living organisms is 

1. 

caused by 

Agents of erosion 

natural acids 

and oxygen is 

chemical 


include include include include 


2. 

5. 

wind 

soil particles 

moving downhill, or 

wet sediment 

moving downhill, or 

6. 

Types of mass 

movement include 

3. 

rock layers 

breaking loose, or 

sediment moving 

along curved surfaces, or 

slump 

4. 

7. 





Section 1 ■ Weathering and 

Soil Formation 


Directions: Write the term that matches each description below on the spaces provided. Then rearrange the 

boxed letters to answer the final question. 

1. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

2. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

3. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

4. ___ ___ ___ 

5. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

6. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

7. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

8. ___ ___ ___ 

9. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

1. gas that is a major cause of chemical weathering 

2. surface land features such as flat or hilly 

3. freezing and thawing cycle that causes potholes in roads and breaks in rocks 

4. mixture of weathered rock, organic matter, water, and air 

5. acid produced by some plant roots 

6. weathering that breaks down rocks without changing them chemically 

7. acid formed from water mixing with carbon dioxide 

8. caused by chemical reaction of iron and oxygen 

9. weathering that changes the chemical composition of rocks 

10. What is the natural process that causes rock to break down? ____________________ 






Section 2 ■ Erosion of Earth’s 

Surface 

Directions: For each of the following, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes the sentence. 

1. Erosion called mass movement is caused by ______. 

a. wind b. gravity c. earthquakes d. runoff 

2. The major result of heavy rains or melting snow and ice is ______. 

a. abrasion b. creep c. valley glaciers d. mudflow 

3. Sediment of different-sized particles left by ice from glaciers is 

called ______. 

a. till b. outwash c. cirque d. slump 

4. Small channels called ______ are cut into Earth’s surface when sheets of 

water flow around obstacles and become deeper. 

a. gullies b. sand bars c. rills d. deltas 

5. ______ are the most important agent of erosion on Earth. 

a. Winds b. Glaciers c. Sand dunes d. Streams 


Directions: Complete the paragraphs by filling in the blanks using the terms listed below. 


mudflows rock gravity ice 

glaciers mass movement erosion 

rock slides water slump cirques 

6. ________________ is the wearing away and removal of 7. _________________ 

material. Erosion occurs because 8. __________________, 9. ________________, 

wind, and 10. ____________________ sculpt Earth’s surface. Gravity causes different 

kinds of 11. ____________________ such as 12. ____________________, 

creep, and 13. __________________. Gravity also causes 14. __________________, 

layers of rock breaking loose and sliding down slopes. 

In cold regions, snow can accumulate over many years to form huge masses of ice 

called 15. ____________________. They can remove rock from mountain tops, 

leaving depressions called 16. ____________________. 





Key Terms 


Directions: Draw a line to connect the term on the left to its description on the right. 


1. slump 

2. mechanical weathering 

3. runoff 

4. soil 

5. mass movement 

6. creep 

mixture of weathered rock, organic 

matter, water, and air 

erosion caused by wind that can 

lower the land’s surface 

gravity causing rock or sediment to 

move downhill 

thick layers of loose sediment moving 

downhill along a curved surface 

process in which composition of 

the rock changes 

wearing away and removal of rock 

material 

7. topography 

8. chemical weathering 

9. erosion 

10. deflation 

11. abrasion 

sediments moving slowly downhill 

due to freezing and thawing 

breaks rocks into pieces without 

changing their composition 

erosion, caused by wind, that 

produces smooth, polished rocks 

surface features of land that 

influence type of soil 

water that flows over Earth’s surface 



Nombre Fecha Clase 

Lectura dirigida para 

Dominio del contenido 

Sinopsis 

Meteorización y erosión 

Instrucciones: Usa los siguientes términos para completar el mapa de conceptos. 

gravedad agua deslizamientos de rocas corrientes de lodo 

corrimiento mecánica hielo 


2. 

5. 

grietas debido al hielo y 

organismos vivos es la 

1. 

viento 

La meteorización 

causada por 

Los agentes de la 

erosión 

3. 

desprendimientos 

ácidos naturales 

y oxígeno es la 

química 

incluyen incluyen incluyen incluyen 

partículas de suelo que se 

mueven cuesta abajo o 

sedimento húmedo 

que se mueve 

cuesta abajo o 

6. 

Los tipos de 

movimientos de 

masas incluyen 

sedimentos que se 

mueven a lo largo de 

superficies curvas o 

capas de roca que 

se desprenden o 

4. 

7. 

Satisface las necesidades individuales 

Meteorización y erosión 23



Sección 1 ■ 

Meteorización y 

formación del 

suelo 

Instrucciones: Escribe el término que corresponde a cada descripción en las líneas dadas. Reorganiza luego las 

letras en las cajas para contestar la última pregunta. 

1. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

2. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

___ ___ ___ 

3. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

___ ___ 

___ ___ 

4. ___ ___ ___ ___ 

5. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

6. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

7. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

8. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

9. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

___ ___ 



___ ___ ___ ___ 

1. gas que es la causa principal de la meteorización química 

2. rasgos de la superficie, como llanuras o colinas 

3. ciclo de congelación y descongelación que causa hoyos en las calles y rupturas 

en las rocas 

4. mezcla de roca meteorizada, materia orgánica, agua y aire 

5. ácido producido por las raíces de algunas plantas 

6. meteorización que rompe las rocas sin cambiarlas químicamente 

7. ácido que se forma cuando el agua se mezcla con el dióxido de carbono 

8. lo causa una reacción química entre el hierro y el oxígeno 

9. cuando las rocas de la superficie experimentan cambios en su composición 

química 

10. ¿Qué proceso natural ocasiona cambios en las rocas de la superficie terrestre? 


24 Meteorización y erosión





Instrucciones: En cada una de las siguientes, escribe la letra del término o frase que completa mejor cada 

oración. 

1. La erosión llamada movimientos de masas es causada por ______. 

a. viento b. gravedad c. terremotos d. escorrentía 

2. Las lluvias torrenciales o la nieve y hielo que se derriten pueden 

producir ______. 

a. abrasión b. corrimiento c. glaciares de valle d. corrientes de lodo 

3. El sedimento de partículas de diferentes tamaños que es depositado por 

los glaciares se llama ______. 

a. tilita b. derrubio c. circo d. desprendimiento 

4. Canales pequeños llamados ______ cortan el suelo cuando láminas de 

agua fluyen alrededor de obstáculos y se hacen más profundas. 

a. barrancos b. barras de arena c. regueras d corrientes 

5. Los(Las) ______ son los agentes erosivos más importantes en la Tierra. 

a. vientos b. glaciares c. dunas de arena d. corrientes 

Instrucciones: Completa los párrafos llenando los espacios en blanco con los siguientes términos. 

corrientes de lodo roca gravedad hielo 

glaciares movimientos de masas erosión 

deslizamientos de rocas agua desprendimiento circos 

6. ____________________ es el desgaste y remoción del material de 

7. ___________________ . Ocurre erosión porque el(la) 8. ___________________ , 

los(as) 9. ___________________ , viento y 10. ___________________ esculpen la 

superficie de la Tierra. La gravedad causa tipos diferentes de 11. ________________ 

tales como 12. ___________________ , el corrimiento y 13. __________________. 

La gravedad también causa 14. ___________________ , cuando las capas de roca se 

desprenden y se deslizan por las pendientes. 

En las regiones frías, la nieve puede acumularse durante muchos años para formar 

masas enormes de hielo llamadas 15. ____________________ . Estos pueden 

transportar rocas desde la cima de las montañas, dejando depresiones llamadas 

16. ____________________ . 

Sección 2 ■ 

Erosión en la 

superficie de la 

Tierra 


Meteorización y erosión 25




Términos claves 

Meteorización y erosión 

Instrucciones: Une con una línea cada término de la izquierda con su descripción a la derecha. 

1. desprendimiento 

mezcla de roca meteorizada, materia orgánica, 

agua y aire 


2. meteorización mecánica 

3. escorrentía 

4. suelo 

5. movimientos de masas 

6. corrimiento 

erosión causada por el viento, la cual puede 

hacer que baje el nivel del suelo 

la gravedad causa que las rocas y el sedimento 

se muevan pendiente abajo 

capas gruesas de sedimentos sueltos se 

mueven por las pendientes a lo largo de las 

superficies en curva 

la composición de la roca cambia 

desgaste y remoción del material rocoso 

7. topografía 

8. meteorización química 

9. erosión 

10. deflación 

11. abrasión 

los sedimentos se mueven lentamente por las 

pendientes debido a la congelación y descongelación 

quiebra las rocas sin cambiar su composición 

erosión causada por el viento que produce 

superficies lisas y pulidas 

rasgos de la superficie terrestre que influyen 

sobre el tipo de suelo 

el agua que fluye sobre la superficie del suelo 


26 Meteorización y erosión


1 

Reinforcement 

Weathering and Soil 

Formation 

Directions: Answer the following questions on the lines provided. 

1. What is weathering? 


2. What is the principal difference between mechanical weathering and chemical weathering? 

Directions: Complete the following sentences using the correct terms. 

3. Two causes of mechanical weathering are ice wedging and ____________________. 

4. Chemical weathering takes place fastest in a ____________________ and 

____________________ climate. 

5. ____________________ takes place when the composition of the rock changes. 

6. When minerals in rocks combine with ____________________ in the air, chemical weathering 

takes place. 

7. ____________________ is a mixture of weathered rock, organic matter, water, and air. 

8. The lack of thick soils on steep hills is an example of how ____________________ influences 

soil development. 

Directions: Circle the term in parentheses that correctly completes the sentence. 

9. Ice wedging occurs because a given amount of ice has a volume (greater than, less than, 

the same as) an equal amount of water. 

10. A growing plant can cause (mechanical, chemical, both mechanical and chemical) weathering. 

11. (Carbon dioxide, Oxygen, Nitrogen) in air reacts with water to dissolve rocks such as marble 

and limestone. 

12. Deep soils develop quickly where rock weathers (slowly, rapidly, either slowly or quickly). 

13. In a tropical climate, (sandy soil, clayey soil, humus) develops. 

14. Many plants produce (carbonic acid, tannic acid, rust), which causes weathering in rocks. 




2 

Reinforcement 

Erosion of Earth’s Surface 


1. What is the difference between weathering and erosion? 

2. Name four agents of erosion. 


Directions: Identify each statement as true or false. If the statement is true, write T in the blank at the left. If 

the statement is false, change the underlined term to make the statement true. 

3. Mass movement is caused by ice. 

4. Creep is a flow of rock or sediment along a curved surface, often 

down an eroded cliff. 

5. Continental glaciers are located near the north and south poles. 

6. The most important agent of erosion is wind. 

7. If you see long striations on the surface of a rock, you would 

suspect mass movement. 

8. Water that flows over Earth’s surface is called sheet flow. 


9. Creep is caused by (glacial erosion, wind, gravity). 

10. Sediment left behind when a glacier melts is called (till, loess, silt). 

11. (Slump, Mudflow, Creep) is a mass of wet sediment that flows downhill as a result of heavy 

rain, melting snow and ice, or a volcano. 

12. The wearing down of rocks by blowing sand is called (deflation, grinding, abrasion). 

13. Where the Mississippi River enters the Gulf of Mexico, there is a large accumulation of 

sediment called a (cirque, gully, delta). 

14. When wind lifts and carries off small particles of weathered rock, it is called (deflation, 

deposition, abrasion). 




1 

Enrichment 

Rain Forest Soils 


Tropical rain forests are very hot and 

steamy places. The average annual temperature 

is about 25°C. Rainfall is usually 

between 150 cm and 350 cm per year, with 

the greatest rainfalls reaching 900 cm per 

year or more. Many different living things 

flourish in these warm, moist conditions, but 

there is a difficult side to these conditions, 

too. While the plentiful rain and warm 

temperatures nurture a wide variety of plants 

and animals, they also make it particularly 

difficult for tropical rain forests to recover 

from deforestation. 

The problem is that plants and animals 

cannot use all the water that falls as rain, and 

the Sun cannot evaporate the excess water. 

Therefore, excess water runs off the soil, taking 

nutrients and organic material with it. As a 

result, the layer of soil that contains nutrients is 

very thin. 

Effects of Rapid Decomposition 

Leaves falling from trees are one of the 

many factors that influence soil nutrients. In 

tropical rain forests, different trees shed their 

leaves at different times. This means there is 

only a thin layer of leaf litter on the ground at 

any time. Decomposers, such as bacteria and 

fungi, thrive in hot, wet conditions. The result 

is that leaf litter and other sources of nutrients 

break down quickly. Decomposers often can 

break down dead animals and plants within 

24 hours. 

Other plants take up the nutrients almost as 

soon as they are released. Rain forest trees 

have shallow root systems that allow them to 

absorb nutrients from the forest floor. They 

do this so rapidly that nutrients don’t have 

time to be stored in the soil. Therefore, unlike 

soil in temperate forests, the humus layer of 

rain forest soil is very thin. 

Effects of Deforestation 

As long as trees and plants growing in forest 

soil can quickly absorb the nutrients, many 

living things can thrive in these conditions. 

When rain forests are cleared for farming or 

cattle grazing, however, the soil can support 

crops or grasses for only a few years. By then, 

most of the remaining nutrients have been 

removed. The land is then abandoned. The soil 

is bare and exposed to the effects of rain, heat, 

and wind. Erosion quickly washes away the topsoil 

and any remaining nutrients, leaving behind 

a subsurface layer called laterite. This soil is 

colored red by aluminum and iron oxides. 

Exposed to the hot Sun, this layer can become as 

hard as concrete. It is nearly impossible for rain 

forests to regrow under these conditions. 

Meanwhile loggers, farmers, and cattle 

ranchers move to new areas of rain forest and 

destruction begins again. In some areas, about 

2,000 trees per minute are cut down in the 

rain forests. Scientists estimate that an area of 

tropical rain forest about the size of the state 

of Wisconsin is being destroyed every year. 

1. Why would it be difficult to replant trees in an area of tropical rainforest that has been cleared? 

What do you think would have to be done before this could be attempted? 

2. How would the soil in a tropical rainforest be different from the soil in a tropical forest that has 

a wet season and a dry season? 




2 

Enrichment 

Canada’s Landscape 


About a million years ago, the climate over 

what is now Canada began to cool, and snow 

accumulated to form great ice sheets across 

the land. As the ice became heavier, it began 

to move, scouring the landscape and picking 

up a collection of clay, sand, and gravel that 

acted like a giant sheet of sandpaper on the 

land. The glaciers moved rocks, gouged out 

valleys, rounded off hilltops, and shaved the 

sides off mountains. 

Then, as the climate warmed, the glaciers 

melted and slowly retreated, but their 

imprint on the landscape can be seen even 

today. 

Evidence Left Behind 

For example, Canada’s mountains still show 

the effects with cirques, or basins, eroded out of 

mountaintops. There are also arêtes, jagged 

knifelike ridges formed where cirques on 

opposite sides of a mountain meet. Other 

features include rugged peaks called horns, 

where the mountain was eroded on several sides, 

and cols, or gaps between two mountain horns. 

When the glaciers melted, the rushing water 

filled the depressions in the land as well. Tarns, 

lakes at the bottom of cirques, filled with water, 

while other depressions also became lakes. In 

fact, the present-day Great Lakes are the 

remains of larger lakes that filled with the 

enormous amount of water from the glaciers. 

Glacial Features 

In addition, the makeup of the land itself still 

shows the effects of the glaciers. Huge boulders 

were carried great distances and left behind 

when the ice retreated. Till, a mixture of clay 

and rock, was deposited in gently rolling plains 

when the glacier had picked up more debris 

than it could carry. Moraines, long ridges of 

material deposited by the melting glaciers, were 

formed, along with eskers, long ridges of sediment 

deposited in glacial streams. 

All of these features can be seen when traveling 

through Canada’s rugged terrain. While 

the ancient glaciers have been gone for thousands 

of years, the evidence of their passing 

still can be found. 

Cirque 

1. Why is Canada an ideal location to study the effects of glacial movement? 

2. What is a cirque, and what other features does it help form? 

Horn 

Col 

Tarn 




Note-taking 

Worksheet 


Section 1 

Weathering and Soil Formation 

A. Natural process that causes rocks to break down is called ____________________. 

B. ____________________ ____________________—breaks rocks into smaller pieces without 

changing them chemically 

1. __________________ _________________ is the freezing and thawing cycle that breaks 

rocks apart. 

2. Plant ____________________ and burrowing ______________________ exert pressure 

on rocks. 

C. When the chemical composition of rock changes, ________________ ____________________ 

has occurred. 

1. __________________ ___________________, from water and carbon dioxide, reacts 

chemically with many rocks. 

2. ________________ ___________________, formed from a plant’s release of tannin, 


dissolves some rock minerals. 


3. Oxygen can cause rocks containing iron to rust in the process of ___________________. 

D. ___________________—mixture of weathered rock, organic matter, water, and air that 

supports the growth of plant life 

1. The ________________ ______________ affects what kind of soil develops. 

2. ____________________ influences soil development. 

3. The _________________ in tropical regions increases the rate of weathering forming soil 

more quickly than in deserts. 

4. Rocks take ___________________, perhaps thousands of years, to weather into soil. 

5. _______________ ___________________ affect soil development. 



Note-taking Worksheet (continued) 

Section 2 

Erosion of Earth’s Surface 

A. _________________—wearing away and removal of rock; occurs because of gravity, ice, wind, 

and water 

B. ______________ __________________—gravity pulls rock or sediment down slopes. 

1. _______________—sediments move downhill slowly. 

2. _______________—rock or sediment moves downhill along a curved slope. 


3. Rock layers break loose and slide downhill in a ______________ _______________. 

4. __________________—mass of wet sediment that flows downhill over the ground surface 

C. __________________ forms continental and valley glaciers. 

1. _________________ _________________ can occur as glaciers remove loose pieces of 

rock or as dragged rock scratches rock underneath the glacier. 

2. Glaciers can form _________________ and steep peaks in mountains, create lakes, or 

totally remove rock from the surface. 

3. Glaciers deposit __________________. 

a. ___________________, a mixture of different sized particles ranging from clay to 

boulders, is deposited directly from the bottom of a glacier. 

b. _________________ includes sand and gravel deposits moved by rivers from melting 

glaciers. 

D. Wind—blows small particles from Earth’s surface in a process called ___________________ 

1. __________________ forms pits in rocks or polishes surfaces smooth as sediments are 

blown by strong winds. 

2. _______________ can form as the wind is slowed as it blows around irregular features such 

as rock or vegetation and deposits the sediment it carried. 

3. _____________, or fine silt, often collects downwind of large deserts or near glacial streams. 




Note-taking Worksheet (continued) 

E. ________________—water flowing on Earth’s surface causes erosion. 

1. _______________ ______________—when water flows downhill as a thin sheet often 

carrying loose sediment grains 

2. _______________ and gullies are channels cut into Earth’s surface and are formed as runoff 

carries sediments along. 

3. Streams have water flowing through them ______________________; they eventually flow 

into the ocean or a large lake. 

4. ________________ water in streams is the most important agent of erosion; streams shape 

more of Earth’s surface than ice, wind, or gravity. 




Assessment 

Assessment 



Chapter 

Review 


Part A. Vocabulary Review 

Directions: Use the clues below to complete the crossword puzzle. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 


Across 

9 

5. Breaking up rock without changing it 

chemically 

6. A mixture of weathered rock, organic 

matter, air, and water 

7. Removal of small loose particles of rock by 

the wind 

8 

Down 

1. Natural process that causes rock to break 

and crumble 

2. Breaking down rock by changing its 

chemical composition 

3. Sandblasting of rock by wind-blown 

particles 

Assessment 

8. Wearing away and removal of rock material 

9. The flow of water over Earth’s surface 

4. Gravity causing rock or sediment to move 

downhill 



Chapter Review (continued) 

Assessment 

Part B. Concept Review 

Directions: Complete the following sentences using the correct terms. 

1. Two important causes of chemical weathering are ____________________ and 

____________________. 

2. Two important causes of mechanical weathering are ____________________ and 

____________________. 

3. Freezing and thawing cause rocks to break because the volume of ice is ____________________ 

that of the same amount of water. 

4. Acid rain causes a ____________________ change in rock. 

5. Melting glaciers deposit _________________, sediment ranging from sand or clay to huge rocks. 

6. Rivers flowing from melting glaciers deposit ____________________ consisting mostly of 

sand and gravel. 

7. Glaciers can erode rock by ____________________ the rock below, or by 

____________________ large pieces of rock. 

8. When freezing and thawing cause sediments to move slowly downhill, ____________________ 

takes place. 

9. ____________________ causes rocks and loose sediments to travel downward. 


10. Carbon dioxide and water combine to form (iron carbonate, tannic acid, carbonic acid). 

11. Mass movement is caused by (gravity, ice, water). 

12. When valley glaciers remove rock from mountain tops, large basins or bowls called (craters, 

cirques, gullies) are carved out. 

13. When wind carrying sand slows down, it sometimes deposits sediment to form (rills, sand dunes, 

mudslides). 

14. The most important agent of erosion on Earth’s surface is (ice, wind, water). 


15. How are deltas formed? 

16. Describe five factors that influence soil formation. 



Transparency 

Activities 

Transparency Activities 



1 

Section Focus 

Transparency Activity 

Congregation of Plants 

Plant growth can get so thick in the rainforest that it can hide an 

entire city. Angkor Preah Ko, a mountaintop temple in Cambodia, is 

being reclaimed by the rainforest through gradual processes. 


1. Describe how plants are affecting the rock in this picture. 

2. How might climate affect the process you described in question 

one? 

3. Could animals have an effect on the rocks similar to that of the 

plants? Explain. 




2 

Section Focus 


Give and Take 

The effects of centuries of wind blasting sand particles against the 

surface of the Sphinx is easily seen. But wind has also helped preserve 

this ancient monument. For many years the Sphinx was buried by 

wind-blown sand, protecting it from further damage. 


1. How has wind damaged the Sphinx? 

2. What happens to particles that the wind blasts off the Sphinx? 

3. How could the Sphinx be protected from further damage? 




1 

Teaching Transparency 

Activity 

Feldspar and Kaolinite 

23% 

Silicon 

8% 

Aluminum 

8% 

Potassium 

61% 

Oxygen 

Feldspar 


6% 

Aluminum 

13% 

Silicon 

56% 

Oxygen 

Kaolinite 

25% 

Hydrogen 




Teaching Transparency Activity (continued) 

1. What elements are common in both kaolinite and feldspar? 

2. What elements are unique in each? 

3. The composition of the feldspar changed to form kaolinite. What caused the change? 

4. How does carbonic acid affect rocks? 

5. Explain each type of weathering and its causes. 


6. Describe a region where chemical weathering would occur slowly. 




Assessment 



Directions: Carefully review the table and answer the following questions. 

Precipitation–Catch (mm at 990 m altitude) 

1980–1986 (November–April) 

Year 

Nov. 

Dec. 

Jan. 

Feb. 

Mar. 

Apr. 

1980 

313 

153 

253 

276 

142 

132 

1981 

100 

34 

280 

156 

237 

8 

1982 

126 

100 

28 

28 

32 

54 

1983 

89 

165 

77 

78 

12 

60 

1984 

138 

46 

170 

93 

44 

50 

1985 

32 

116 

181 

40 

189 

56 

1986 

31 

169 

17 

113 

13 

18 


1. According to the table, the month and year that experienced the 

highest amount of precipitation-catch was ___. 

A April, 1980 C November, 1980 

B January, 1980 D February, 1980 

2. According to the information in the table, all of the following years 

had at least one month in which the monthly precipitation-catch 

was greater than 180 millimeters EXCEPT ___. 

F 1980 G 1981 H 1985 J 1986 

3. According to the information in the table, which month 

experienced the greatest amount of precipitation-catch? 

A November B December C January D February

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