EXOGENIC PROCESSES

EXOGENIC PROCESSESS are interconnected with atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere,

and includes processes of weathering, erosion, transportation, and deposition.
WEATHERING

It is the on-site breakdown of rock and its eventual transformation into sediments.
MECHANICAL WEATHERING
The physical breakdown of a rock into unconnected grains or chunks without changing its
composition.
EXFOLIATION
A process wherein intrusive rocks such as granite usually split into onion-like sheets parallel
to the surface.
FROST WEDGING
In temperate regions or high altitudes, water inside the fractures of rocks experience
regular freezing and thawing. When it freezes, it causes joints to expand and grow, causing
pieces of rocks to detach. This process is called FROST WEDGING.
ROOT WEDGING
Joints also e9xpand when plants growing on its surface pry it open in a process called ROOT
WEDGING.
SALT WEDGING
When the salt crystallizes, it pushes apart the surrounding grains and weakens the rock,
causing it to disintegrate when exposed to wind or rain.
THERMAL EXPANSION
Occurs when a rock is exposed to high temperature such as a forest fire; its outer layer
expands due to baking.
CHEMICAL WEATHERING
Occurs when there are chemical changes in a least some of the composition of the rock.
1. DISSOLUTION
It happens in certain minerals which are dissolved in water.
Halite (NaCl) dissolves rapidly in pure water while calcite (CaCO3) dissolves rapidly in acidic
water like rainwater .

Limestone, which is composed of calcite, is weathered through this process and develops
caves through time.
2. HYDROLYSIS
It occurs when water reacts with minerals and breaks them down.

The common rock-forming minerals like amphibole, pyroxene, and feldspar all react with
water and form various types of clay minerals.
3. OXIDATION
The reaction of oxygen with minerals in the rock, forms oxides.

Oxidation of iron-bearing minerals like biotite and pyrite produce iron oxide (hematite) and
iron hydroxide (goethite).
4. HYDRATION
It occurs when water is absorbed into the crystal structure of the mineral, causing it to
expand.
5. BIOLOGICAL WEATHERING
It occurs in roots of plants, when fungi and lichens secrete organic acids that dissolve
minerals and the nutrients are taken in by these organisms.
EROSION AND TRANSPORT
EROSION
Is the separation and removal of weathered and unweathered rocks and soil from its
substrate due to gravity and transporting agents like wind, ice, or water.
TRANSPORT
Is the process by which sediment are moved along from the source to where they are
deposited.
Wind Erosion
Commonly occurs in flat, bare areas or dry, sandy and loose soils.
Sandstorms are common phenomenon in deserts that transports lots of sediments for
hundreds of kilometer.
GLACIER
Is a permanent body of ice, which consist largely of recrystallized snow and shows evidence
of movement due to gravity.
WATER
Is the most common erosion agent.
FOUR WAYS ON HOW SEDIMENTS MOVES ALONG:

TRACTION
Rolling of dragging of large grains aided by the push of smaller grains.

SALTATION
Bouncing of sand grains as they are picked-up, carried and dropped repeatedly.

SUSPENSION
Movement of fine particles like silt and clay.

SOLUTION
Movement of soluble minerals(salt).

Rivers start as small individual steams, called TRIBUTARIES, in elevated areas such as
mountains, forming V-shaped valleys.

As the river enters the sea, it separates into many branches, called DISTRIBUTARY
CHANNELS, and deposits most of its sediments load, forming the TIDAL FLATS composed of
sand and mud.
TIDAL CURRENTS
Move the sediments toward the ocean.
the sediments coming from rivers are also transported along the shoreline via longshore
drift

TIDAL CURRENTS also move the sediments towards the ocean.

SEDIMENTOLOGY
FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE OCCURRENCE OF MASS WASTING

1. RELIEF
The difference in elevation between two places creates slopes; gravity pulls materials at
higher elevations to lover elevations

2. SLOPE STABILITY
The balance between the down slope fore caused by gravity and the resistance force due to
friction; slope failure occurs when the downslope force is greater.

3. FRAGMENTATION AND WEATHERING

Intact rock is held together by chemical bond within minerals, by mineral cements, and by
interlocking of grains.

MASS WASTING can be classified in a number of ways such as type of material, type of
motion and speed of movement.

Predominantly coarse soil materials are called debris while predominantly fine materials
are labelled as earth.
GENERAL TYPES OF MOTION

1. FALL
Includes the freefall movement, bouncing and rolling of materials on a slope.
2. TOPPLE
Is the forward rotation out of the slope of a soil or rock mass.

3. SLIDE
Is the down slope movement of coherent materials along a well-defined surface of rupture
called SLIDING SURFACE.

4. SPREAD
Is the lateral extension and fracturing of a coherent mass due to the plastic flow of its
underlying material.

5. FLOW
Happens when the material are saturated and move down slope as a viscous fluid.

6. COMPLEX
Combination of several types of movement could occur.

The widely accepted classification of mass wasting is produced by Varnes in 1978 and
modified by Cruden and Varnes in 1996.

DEPOSITION

It is the process in which sediments settle out of the transporting medium.

BED
The layer formed when the materials are laid down. It varies in thickness depending on the
volume of the sediments.
SORTING
The distribution of grain size in a layer.
In a mixture with various grain sizes, the larger sediments are called CLASTS and the
surrounding fine-grained sediments are MATRIX
SEDIMENTARY
ENVIRONMENT
The area where sediments are deposited.
1. GLACIAL ENVIRONMENT
Areas where glaciers and ice sheets are found such as in high altitude mountains and in
polar regions.
2. MOUNTAIN STREAM ENVIRONMENT
Conglomerates usually form in this environment
3. MOUNTAIN FRONT ENVIRONMENT
When a stream enters the flat area at the base of a mountain, it loses energy and decreases
in velocity.
4. DESERT ENVIRONMENT
Wind carries sand and silt materials.
5. LAKE ENVIRONMENT
A lake is quiet environment. Streams carrying sediments deposit on sediments on lake
margins.
6. RIVER(FLUVIAL) ENVIRONMENT
In flat areas, rivers are slow moving and commonly carry an assortment of pebbles, sand,
silt and mud.
7. DELTA ENVIRONMENT
When a river enters the sea, It empties its load in a delta, which extend to the shallow
coastal area.
8. BEACH ENVIRONMENT
Tidal currents transport sand along he coastline. He waves winnow out the finer sediments,
leaving only well-sorted and well-rounded sand grains that form ripples.
9. SHALLOW MARINE ENVIRONMENT
The mud and silt removed from the shoreline and from river mouths are transported by
tidal currents and deposited in quieter waters below the wave zone
10. SHALLOW WATER CARBONATE ENVIRONMENT
In shallow marine environment where the supply of sediments is limited, marine organism
like coral reefs develop where the water is fairly warm, clear, and full of nutrients.
11. DEEP MARINE ENVIRONMENT
Slope failures from the steep slopes of submarine canyons generate submarine landslides
which create sediments of varying sizes.
CEMENTATION
This process which binds together the individual grains.
CEMENTS are dissolved chemicals in the water occupying the pore spaces in between the
grains precipitate and form new minerals.