Weathering/ fossils/ Earth:

Weathering:

Weathering is the breaking down or wearing away of rocks where they are. It does not
happen because they move or collide with each other.

• One type, biological weathering (biotic), is caused by animals and plants. For example,
weeds growing through cracks in the pavement. If you have gone for a walk in the
countryside, you may even have seen bushes or trees growing from cracks in rocks or
disused buildings. This is because plant roots can grow in cracks. As they grow bigger,
the roots push open the cracks and make them wider and deeper. Eventually pieces of
rock may fall away.

• Physical weathering is caused by physical processes such as changes in temperature,

freezing and thawing, and the effects of wind, rain and waves.

 Temperature changes
When a rock gets hot it expands a little, and when it gets cold the rock contracts a
little. If a rock is heated and cooled many times, cracks form and pieces of rock fall
away. This type of physical weathering happens a lot in deserts, because it is very hot
during the day but very cold at night.

 Wind, rain and waves

Wind, rain and waves can all cause weathering. The wind can blow tiny grains of sand
against a rock. These wear the rock away and weather it. Rain and waves lashing
against a rock can also wear it away over long periods of time.

• The weathering of rocks by chemicals is called chemical weathering.

Coal, oil and natural gas are fossil fuels. When they are used, carbon dioxide and
sulfur dioxide escape into the air. When the sulfur dioxide dissolves in the water in the
clouds, it makes acid rain – rainwater that is more acidic than normal. This acid rain
makes chemical weathering happen quickly, buildings and statues made of rock are
damaged as a result.

Erosion and transport:

Weathering and erosion are often confused:

• weathering is the wearing away of rocks

• erosion is the movement of the broken pieces away from the site of weathering
 • Transport:

Rivers and streams can move pieces of rock. This is called transport. Fast-flowing
rivers can transport large rocks, but slow-moving rivers can only transport tiny pieces
of rock.

Fossils:

A fossil is the preserved remains or traces of a dead organism. The process by which a fossil
is formed is called fossilisation. It’s very rare for living things to become fossilised. Usually
after most animals die their bodies just rot away and nothing is left behind. However, under
certain special conditions, a fossil can form.

After an animal dies, the soft parts of its body decompose leaving the hard parts, like the
skeleton, behind. This becomes buried by small particles of rock called sediment.

As more layers of sediment build up on top, the sediment around the skeleton begins to
compact and turn to rock; making a rock similar to the bone that fossilised.

The fossil record:

Fossils provide evidence for how living things and the environment have changed over time.

Fossils have been found in rocks of all ages, stretching back billions of years. However, most
of the species found in the fossil record have died out or become extinct.

Fossils don’t just show how living things have changed; they can also help us understand how
the Earth has changed.

Structure of the Earth:

The Earth is made up of different layers:

1. The inner core is in the centre and is the

hottest part of the Earth. It is solid and made up of
iron and nickel with temperatures of up to
5,500°C.

2. The outer core is the layer surrounding the

inner core. It is a liquid layer, also made up of iron
and nickel.

3. The mantle is the thickest section of the

Earth at approximately 2,900 km. The mantle is
made up of semi-molten rock called magma.