Weathering, Erosion and Mass Movement

What this unit covers

The resources here follow the path rock takes once it reaches the surface. It breaks down in place, is carried away, and sometimes slides downhill. The notes titled Weathering explain that uplifted rocks meet new temperature, pressure and chemical conditions. The notes on sediment transport ask what happens to weathered material and list gravity, wind and other carriers.

Where to start

1. Begin with the flashcard deck Denudation. It covers terms such as calcite, carbonation, freeze-thaw action, karst and deposition.
2. Move to the Weathering flashcards. They ask what weathering is and split physical weathering into temperature, ice and water, salts, wind and plants. Chemical weathering is split into gases, acids and water.
3. Read the slideshow notes titled Weathering Notes from Slideshow for a fuller explanation.

Mass movement

Once weathering makes sense, open the mind map Types of mass movement. It sorts slow movements such as soil creep from fast ones, and uses a local example from Oxfordshire. The mind maps on erosion and deposition cover landslides, mudflows, slump and creep. For real events, look at The Hong Kong Landslides, and the maps on human factors causing mass movement.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a mind map first, then take a quiz such as Weathering and Sediment Transport or Mass Wasting. Note the questions you missed. Go back to the matching branch of the map or the flashcards and test yourself again. Some listed resources mention GCSE Geography and A-level Geography, so they suit those courses well.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the strand Surface Processes and Landscapes, within Geology and earth sciences. Teachers can set a deck or quiz as a starter or homework task. When you are ready, choose one resource and work through it.