Science glossary · South Africa
Weathering
The slow breaking down of rock into smaller pieces by wind, water, ice or plants.
Weathering breaks rock where it is. Erosion then moves the pieces somewhere else.
Example: Water freezes in a crack in a rock and expands, which slowly splits the rock.
Lessons, worksheets, practice and tools on this: Rocks, soil and water.
Related words
- Water cycle: The way water moves between the land, the oceans and the air, over and over.
- Erosion: When wind, water or ice carry away bits of rock and soil.
- Mineral: A solid substance found in nature that was never alive and has a definite chemical makeup.
- Fossil: The preserved remains or traces of a living thing from long ago.