Earth’s Physical Processes

Crust – Rocky surface of the earthMantle – A thick layer of rock above the

Outer coreOuter Core – Molten lavaInner Core – Very hot metal that is dense and

solid

Layers of the earth

Physical Processes: forces which shape Earth’s land forms.

Internal (under the surface): Volcanoes, movement of the crust

External (above the surface): Weathering, Erosion

Changes inside the Earth

Plate Tectonics: earth’s crust broken into moving plates

Continental Drift Theory: all continents were once a single land mass “Pangaea”

As plates move = earthquakes and volcanoes occur

Pangaea

VolcanoesEarthquakesIslandsMountains are createdTsunamis

When plates move what occurs on Earth’s surface?

Changes above the surface

WEATHERING

Mechanical Weathering: physically breaks down large pieces of rockExamples: water freezing inside rock,

seeds and roots

Chemical Weathering: changing rock’s chemical make-upExamples: acid created by water + carbon dioxide or air

pollution (acid rain)

EROSION

Moving water: cuts into rock/wears it awayWind: carries soil away/deposits it elsewhereGlaciers: carry dirt, rocks, and boulders – wears land away

What it does

Examples

Mechanical

Chemical

Movingwater

Wind Glaciers

Weathering Erosion