7.8B Changes to Texas Land Vocabulary List #6

Chemical Weathering The chemical breakdown of rocks and minerals into new substances

Mechanical Weathering The breakdown of rock into smaller pieces by physical means

Ice Wedging The 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.

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

Landform Any natural formation of rock and dirt found on Earth

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

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