MODULE 3

GEOLOGIC PROCESSES OF
EARTH
 The geologic processes of Earth
describe the natural forces that
influence the shape and structure of
the planet
► Geologic processes are broken down into two
categories:
► exogenous (external) processes
► endogenous (internal) processes
 MODULE 3 LESSON 1
EXOGENOUS PROCESSES

❑The exogenous processes occur on or

near the surface of Earth.
❑These are natural occurrences that
leave significant changes on the
landscape and even in the ecosystem of
an area.
 Types of Exogenous Processes

[Link] – It is the disintegration of rocks,

soils, and minerals together with other materials
through contact with Earth’s subsystems.
– It happens even
without movement or transportation. The
breaking down of soils and rocks happens on the
spot.
 Two Types of Weathering

1. Physical Weathering
– is the breakdown or
rocks by mechanical
forces concentrated
along rock fractures.
This can occur due to
changes in
temperature, pressure,
frost, etc.
 Two Types of Weathering

2. Chemical Weathering –
is the process by which rocks
break down by chemical
reactions.
 Types of Exogenous Processes

2. EROSION – It is the process by which

Earth’s surface is worn away by wind, water,
or ice.
✔ The process of
erosion moves rock
debris or soil from
one place to another.
 Erosion causes….

►Forces of nature: ►Human activities:

rainfall, surface runoff, Deforestation,
flowing river, seawater overgrazing of farm
intrusion, flooding, animals, urbanization
freezing and thawing,
hurricane, wind, etc.
 Types of Exogenous Processes

3. Mass Wasting – It is
the movement of
material in a downslope
terrain due to gravity.
 Types of Exogenous Processes

3. Sedimentation – It is the
accumulation of materials such as
soil, rock fragments, and soil
particles settling at the bottom.
 MODULE 3 LESSON 2
ENDOGENOUS PROCESSES

❑The endogenous processes are caused by

forces from within or in the interior of Earth.
❑The driving force is the thermal energy of the
mantle and the crust. Most of the thermal
energy originates from the decay and
disintegration of radioactive elements in
Earth’s core.
 Types of Endogenous Processes on
Earth
►
 Types of Endogenous Processes on
Earth
2. Volcanism or Plutonism
⮚ Volcanism is the process that usually happens
after the magma is formed. The magma tries to
escape from the source through openings such
as volcanoes or existing cracks on the ground.
⮚ Magma that reaches the surface of Earth is
called lava.
 Types of Endogenous Processes on
Earth
3. Metamorphism
⮚ The process of changing the materials that
make up a rock. The chemical components and
geologic characteristics of the rock change due
to heat, fluids and pressure that is increasing or
decreasing.
⮚ The minerals in the rock may change even if it
does not melt.
 MODULE 3 LESSON 3
TYPES OF STRESS INFLUENCING
ROCK BEHAVIOR
⮚ The geological processes that happen on
Earth make land masses, called plates, push
or pull each other.
⮚ In doing so, stress happens.
⮚ The forces that drive the geological processes
of Earth exert stress on rocks. The effects of
these tensions form the landscape of Earth.
 Types of Stress
1.
Compression
► Compression. In compression stress, rock
push or squeeze against one another where
the stress produced is directed toward the
center.
► Horizontally, the crust may thicken or
shorten.
► Vertically, the crust can thin out or break off.
Types of Stress
2. Tension
► In tensional stress, rocks are pulled apart.
Rocks may separate in opposite directions.
► The rocks may move farther away from one
another.
Types of Stress
3. Shearing
►In shear stress, some of the portions of a
plate at the edges may break away in
different directions, eventually making the
plate smaller in size.
►The friction caused by this stress can cause
earthquakes.
 Types of Stress
4. Confining
►In confining stress, the crust becomes
compact, thus making it look smaller.
►However, if breaking away should happen, the
movement would come from the inside.
►When this happens, the shape of the crust can
be retained, though not its weight.
 MODULE 3 LESSON 4
THE CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY

►Geologic processes continue to change the

appearance of Earth.
►In 1596, Abraham Ortelius(1527 – 1598)
observed and presupposed that the shapes of
the continents on both sides of the Atlantic
Ocean seem to connect to each other.
 The Continental Drift
Theory…
►Wegener supported his theory with references
from past authors with similar ideas such as
Eduard Suess (1831 -1914) who also
recognized the existence of Gondwanaland.
►Suess is better known to have proposed the
existence of Tethys Sea, the only recognized
body of water during those ancient times.
 Wegener provided the following strong
evidences to his continental drift theory…
► Presence of coal seams in polar regions.
► Coal is a fossil fuel that originated from the
chemically altered remains of prehistoric vegetation.
► Usually, coal is found in tropical areas because the
climate is warm and ideal for propagation of
organisms.
► Because of this, there is a higher index of diversity
and population in tropical regions.
Wegener used to
question why coal
would be found in
polar regions such as
the North Pole and
Antarctica, leading
him to believe that
these areas used to
be near the equator
and just drifted away
from it.
 Wegener provided the following strong
evidences to his continental drift theory…
► Continuity of rock layers found in different
continents.
► Rock layers may be profiled to determine the
history, age, and composition of materials in the
environment.
► Part of the evidences of continental drift is the
similarity of rock layers found in the mountains that
are on the opposite sides of the Atlantic ocean.
Plate Tectonics Theory…

►Geologist started to use a more precise term to

refer to the moving piece of crust as “plate”
because it is believed that continents are not the
only ones moving.
►The boundaries of tectonic plates were accidentally
discovered and eventually studied during the
magnetic surveys of the ocean floor and the
seismic studies for nuclear testing.
Plate Tectonics Theory…

►After the plate boundaries were discovered

scientists were able to identify the seven
major plates: Pacific Plate, Eurasian Plate,
North American Plate, South American Plate,
Indo – Australian Plate, Australian Plate,
Antarctic Plate and African Plate.
► One of the minor plates is the Philippine plate.
 Types of Plate Boundaries…

[Link] (collisional) boundaries are

where plates meet. They are driven by
compressional forces.
► There is commonly an ocean trench along the boundary as
the crust bends downwards.
► It creates a chain of volcanic islands known as an island arc.

► Earthquakes occur
relatively deep below
the seafloor, where the
subducting crust moves
against the overriding
crust.
 Types of Plate Boundaries…

2. Divergent Plates are where plates move away

from each other.
►Plates move apart because of the magma that is
being pushed upward in boundaries of the plates.
►When this happens, the slowly moving plates
transport newly formed crust away from the ridge
toward the directions where the plates go.
 Divergent Plate…

► Most divergent plate boundaries are underwater and

form submarine mountain ranges called oceanic
spreading ridges.
 Types of Plate Boundaries…

3. Transform boundaries are where plates

slide past each other. Neither plates get subdued.
►Plates slide past each other and the sudden
movement can cause earthquakes.
►Transform faults usually happen in the fracture
zone in areas that connect spreading centers to
deep – sea trenches in subduction zones..
Transform boundaries…
 MODULE 3 LESSON 6
CRUSTAL DEFORMATION

► The tectonic movement of the plates results in

crustal deformation. Two types of deformations
in the Earth's crust are folding and faulting.
a. Folding – a type of Earth movement resulting
from the compression of rock strata (rock layers).
Bending, curving, crumpling, or buckling of rocks into
folds is usually visible on rock strata.
► Folding results from
compressional forces because of
high temperature and pressure
from the interior of Earth.
► Folding can also happen in oceans
and seas. The compressional forces
are strong enough to move ocean
sediments to higher elevations.
► Solid particles that build up on the
seabed may in time form a land.
► The lower elevations in folds may
be filled with water from rivers and
streams forming a new type of
water body.
 Two types of deformations in the Earth's crust
are folding and faulting.
b. Faulting – a type of Earth movement that
forms cracks or fractures on the rocks. The
movement is caused by low temperatures that
make the rocks brittle.
– The sudden release of energy
from the interior of Earth accompanied by rapid
movement of land can sometimes cause
earthquakes.
► Mountains formed from faulting produce sharp peaks.
► They are called “ block mountains.”
► Valleys are formed from displaced rocks. They are
narrow depressions bounded by parallel faults.