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Denudational Processes - Exogenic processes - Geography notes

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Amruta Patil Oct 10, 2023

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Denudation process is a broad term that encompasses all exogenic

processes (weathering and erosion). The term 'denude' refers to the
process of removing or uncovering something. Denudation
processes are influenced by physical (folds, faults, orientation,
inclination of beds, presence or absence of joints, bedding planes,
hardness or softness of constituent minerals, permeability) and
chemical (chemical susceptibility of mineral constituents to corrosion)
properties of the rocks. In this article, we will discuss the concept of
the denudation process in detail which is important for UPSC exam
preparation.

Table of Contents

1. Concept of Denudational Processes

2. Classification of Denudational Processes
2.1 Weathering
2.1.1 Physical / Mechanical Weathering
2.1.2 Chemical Weathering
2.1.3 Biological Weathering
Sample Papers
2.2 Mass Movements Download PDF
 2.2.1 Slow Movements
2.2.2 Rapid Movements
2.3 Erosion (Transportation) and Deposition
3. Conclusion
4. FAQs
5. MCQs

Concept of Denudational Processes

Denudational processes refer to the combined actions that result
in the wearing down or stripping away of the Earth's surface
layers.
These processes are critical in shaping landscapes and are a
subset of the broader category of exogenic or external
geomorphic processes.
Denudation encompasses several sequential processes:
Weathering: This is the initial breakdown of rocks at or near
the Earth's surface due to various physical, chemical, and
biological agents. Weathering does not involve the
transportation of eroded materials.
Erosion: This involves the removal and transportation of
weathered material by various agents like water, wind, ice, and
gravity. Different types of erosion lead to diverse landforms and
landscapes.
Transportation: The movement of eroded materials by agents
like rivers, winds, glaciers, and waves. Different agents have
specific modes of transport, leading to varied landforms.
Deposition: This is the process by which transported materials
settle or get laid down in new locations. Over time, the
accumulation of these deposited materials can give rise to
landforms such as deltas, alluvial fans, beaches, and moraines.

Denudational Processes
 Other Relevant Links

Chemical Weathering Biological Weathering

Physical Weathering Significance of Weathering

Mass Movements Soil Formation Processes

Classification of Denudational Processes

Denudational processes can be classified into – Weathering, mass
movements, erosional, and depositional processes. Let us look at
these in detail:

Weathering

It can occur physically by disintegrating the rocks due to factors

like pressure release, abrasion, animals, growth of plants as well
as chemically through chemical changes such as water, carbon
dioxide, living organisms, and acid rain breaking them eventually.
As very little or no motion of materials takes place in weathering,
it is an in-situ or on-site process.
The weathered material is carried farther away by erosion.
Weathering can be classified as physical weathering, chemical
weathering, and biological weathering.

1) Physical / Mechanical Weathering

Mechanical disintegration of rocks occurs as a result of

temperature variations, freeze-thaw cycles, wet-dry cycles, salt
crystallization, animal and plant activities, and other factors.
Physical or Mechanical Weathering processes are influenced by
external factors.
Gravity forces such as overburden pressure, load, and shearing
stress;
Expansion forces caused by temperature variations, crystal
development, or animal activity; and
Water pressure is controlled by wetting and drying cycles.
Thermal expansion and pressure produce the majority of physical
deterioration.

Unloading and Expansion

 Vertical pressure is released as the overlying rock load is removed
due to ongoing erosion.
As a result, the higher layers of the remaining rock expand,
causing rock masses to disintegrate. Exfoliation is an outcome
rather than a method.
Flaking off of more or less curved sheets of shells from over rocks
or bedrocks produces smooth and rounded surfaces.
Exfoliation domes are smooth circular domes generated as a result
of the unloading and expansion.

Temperature Changes and Expansion

Due to the underlying load, intrusive igneous rocks generated

deep beneath the Earth's surface are under great pressure.
As the overlaying load is removed due to erosion, vertical pressure
is released, causing the higher layers of the rock to expand and
fracture parallel to the surface.
Exfoliation is the process of sheets of rock breaking away from
exposed rocks along cracks over time. Sheeting is the term for
exfoliation caused by pressure release.

Freezing, Thawing, and Frost wedging

Cycles of freezing and thawing (the weather becomes warmer

and causes snow and ice to melt) cause frost weathering.
It is most effective at high elevations in mid-latitude where
freezing and melting is often repeated.
Rapid freezing of water causes its sudden expansion and high
pressure.
As a result of the expansion, joints, cracks, and minor intergranular
fractures widen until the rock breaks apart.

2) Chemical Weathering

Chemical weathering is the process of rocks and soil decomposing

chemically.
Dissolution, solution, carbonation, hydration, oxidation, and
reduction are chemical weathering processes that operate on
rocks to break down, dissolve, or reduce them to a fine state.
All chemical reactions are sped up by acids created by microbial
and plant-root metabolism, water, air (oxygen and carbon dioxide),
and heat.
 Chemical Weathering

Solution

When something is dissolved in water or acids, the resulting

water or acid is referred to as a solution.
The solubility of a mineral in water or weak acids is required for
this procedure, which involves the elimination of solids in the
solution.
Many solids break down and mix as a suspension in water when
they come into touch with water.
Minerals found in limestones, such as calcium carbonate and
magnesium bicarbonate, are soluble in water containing carbonic
acid (which is created when carbon dioxide is added to water) and
are transported away as a solution.

Carbonation

Carbonation is the reaction of carbonate and bicarbonate with

minerals, and it is a common mechanism in the disintegration of
feldspar and carbonate minerals.
Water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and soil air to
produce carbonic acid, a weak acid.
Cave formation occurs when calcium and magnesium carbonates
are dissolved in carbonic acid and then eliminated in a solution
without leaving any trace.

Hydration

The chemical addition of water is known as hydration.

Minerals absorb water and expand, resulting in a rise in the
volume of the substance or rock.
The process is reversible and takes a long time.
It generates fatigue in the rocks, which can lead to their
disintegration.
When calcium sulfate absorbs water, it transforms into gypsum,
which is less stable than calcium sulfate.
Oxidation and Reduction

The interaction of a mineral with oxygen to generate oxides or

hydroxides is referred to as oxidation in weathering.
Iron, manganese, sulfur, and other minerals are frequently seen in
this process.
The iron's red color fades to brown and yellow as it oxidizes.
The disruption induced by the influx of oxygen causes rock
breakup in this oxidation process.
When oxidized minerals are exposed to an environment devoid of
oxygen, reduction occurs.

3) Biological Weathering​

Biological weathering is caused by a variety of biological

processes such as organism development and movement.
They also bring with them the possibility of physical or chemical
deterioration.
Plants, animals, and bacteria degrade and disintegrate rock as a
result of biological weathering.
It can happen as a result of physical stress, such as the
penetration of plant roots, the physical impact of an animal's
hooves, or chemical changes generated by them, such as the
action of worms, lichens, and so on.

Biological Weathering as a Result of Trees

Mass Movements

Under the direct impact of gravity, these processes transport the

mass of rock debris down the slope.
Weathered slopes are more active than unweathered slopes in
terms of mass motions.
Running water, glaciers, wind, waves, and other common
geographic agents play little part in mass motions, and gravity is
the primary driving force.
Slow and fast movements are the two types of mass movements.
1) Slow Movements
Soil Creeping

It occurs on moderately steep, soil-covered slopes (and does not

require water lubrication as solifluction does).
Except by prolonged observation, the movement is exceedingly
slow and unnoticeable.
We may have seen that several of our region's electric posts in
sloppy regions have drifted from their horizontal linearity.
This is called a creep effect.

Creep Effect

Solifluction

It's the gradual downslope movement of water-saturated or

lubricated soil mass or fine-grained rock debris.
It's a kind of creep in which the movement is influenced by
lubricated water.
Because groundwater strata are occupied in between
permanently frozen soil and rocks in permafrost zones, it primarily
occurs there.
 Solifluction Landforms

2) Rapid Movements
Earthflow

Earthflow refers to the movement of water-saturated clayey or

silty earth elements down low-angle terraces or hillsides.

Mudflow

A mudflow occurs when thick layers of weathered materials

become saturated with water and flow down along definite
pathways in the absence of vegetation and cover, and when
significant rainfall occurs.

Debris Avalanche

It occurs more frequently in humid areas with or without

vegetation.
It is similar to a snow avalanche and happens in narrow pathways
on steep mountains.

Landslides

Regardless of the above-mentioned rapid mass motions, the

materials involved in landslides are rather dry.
Slumps, debris slides, and rockslides are the forms of landslides.
 Slump: A form of landslide in which many units of rock debris
slide backward in relation to the slope over which the movement
occurs.
Debris slide: There is no backward rotation in this sort of
landslide. The drop is nearly vertical.
Rockslide: It refers to the movement of individual rock masses.

Erosion (Transportation) and Deposition

Erosion is the process of rock debris being collected and

transported by geomorphic processes such as running water,
wind, and waves.
Weathering enhances erosion, although it is not a requirement for
erosion to occur (i.e., erosion can occur in both weathered and
unweathered environments).
Deposition occurs as a result of erosion.
On moderate slopes, erosional agents lose their velocity and
energy, and the materials they carry begin to settle.
No agents are involved in the deposition process. It's simply the
effect of erosion.
 What is DENUDATION? | DENUDATION क्या होता है? | …

Conclusion
Denudational processes include weathering, mass wasting, erosion,
and deposition. All exogenic processes are referred to as denudation,
which means to take away or to uncover. Geomorphic agents (such
as wind, water, and waves) are natural elements capable of
performing these exogenic processes. The two things that make
these agents mobile are gravity and gradients.

Other Relevant Links

Physical
Geography Notes
Geography

Geomorphic Processes Geomorphology

Distribution of Oceans and Continents Minerals and

Basins Rocks

Exogenic
Endogenic Processes
Processes

FAQs
Question: What are the agents involved in the denudational
process? ➕