EARTHSC 1121 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Drainage Basin, Pettaquamscutt River, Clay Minerals
8 Nov 2016
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Document Summary
Nile is a relatively narrow river with a wide river basin. Under the nile river there is a giant canyon the size of the grand canyon, that is. 0-20 km thick, cover of gunk over an igneous or metamorphic basement. Results from the processes on the earth"s surface. Process by which we break rocks down. Physical - mechanical breakage and disintegration: doesn"t change mineral makeup, creates broken fragments, or detritus, detritus is classi ed by size. Coarse - grained: boulders, down to pebbles. Fine - grained: silt and clay: jointing- when a rock expands because of a change in temperature. Exfoliation jointing- joints are like onion, and peel off: extremely dangerous to be around. Chemical - decomposition by reaction with water. Reaction with water disintegrates many minerals: water is the universal solvent. Rock that is so chemically eroded you can"t even tell what it is.
