7.8B Changes to Texas LandVOCABULARY LIST #6

Chemical WeatheringThe chemical breakdown of rocks and minerals into new substances

Mechanical Weathering

The breakdown of rock into smaller pieces by physical means

Ice WedgingThe process of mechanical weathering in which water seeps into a crack in a rock during warm weather and then freezes during cold weather; when it expands, the ice pushes against the sides of the crack and forces it open wider.

OxidationA chemical reaction in which an element combines with oxygen to form an oxide; a common form of weathering.

LandformAny natural formation of rock and dirt found on Earth

BioticDescribe the part of the environment made up of organisms and the organic matter they produce

AbioticDescribes the physical, or nonliving, part of the environment, including water, rocks, light, and temperature.