What happens when bedrock is exposed?

What happens when bedrock is exposed?

Bedrock, when exposed or within the subsurface may experience weathering and erosion by external factors. Weathering may be physical or chemical and alters the structure of the rock and may cause it to erode and or alter over time based on the interactions between the mineralogy and its interactions.

What is an exposure of bedrock?

A surface exposure of bedrock is called an outcrop. Man-made outcrops are common where roadways cut through mountains or hilltops, in quarries, and in mines. Generally, the more rock resists erosion, the more likely it is to crop out. Granite and sandstone commonly form well-exposed outcrops.

Does bedrock get weathered?

Cracks and fissures within bedrock provide pathways for air and water, which chemically react to break up rock, ultimately creating soil — an essential ingredient for all terrestrial organisms. This weathering of bedrock is fundamental to life on Earth.

Is bedrock porous?

Aquifers, underground pockets of water, exist in porous bedrock formations, such as sandstone. Deposits of petroleum and natural gas can also be found and accessed by drilling through bedrock.

What causes bedrock to erode in the subsurface?

Bedrock when exposed or within the subsurface may experience weathering and erosion by external factors. Weathering may be physical or chemical and alters the structure of the rock and may cause it to erode and or alter over time based on the interactions between the mineralogy and its interactions.

How does weathering affect the structure of bedrock?

Weathering of bedrock. Bedrock when exposed or within the subsurface may experience weathering and erosion by external factors. Weathering may be physical or chemical and alters the structure of the rock and may cause it to erode and or alter over time based on the interactions between the mineralogy and its interactions.

What do you need to know about bedrock?

Bedrock 1 Components of bedrock. Bedrock essentially refers to the substructure composed of hard rock exposed or buried at the earth’s surface. 2 Engineering geology. 3 Weathering of bedrock. 4 Further reading.

Where can you find the exposed bedrock of a mountain?

Exposed bedrock can be seen on some mountaintops, along rocky coastlines, in stone quarries, and on plateau s. Often, these visible exposures of bedrock are called outcropping s or outcrops. Outcrops can be expose d through natural processes such as erosion or tectonic uplift.