Geological Processes

Weathering

Weathering describes the breakdown of rocks, soils and minerals through direct contact with our planet’s atmosphere.
Processes involved in weathering are physical weathering, chemical weathering, and biological weathering.
Physical weathering, also known as mechanical weathering, involves the disintegration of rock into smaller pieces without altering its chemical composition.
Chemical weathering alters the internal structures of minerals by removing or adding elements, and thus changes the original minerals into different ones.
Biological weathering involves weathering due to plants, animals, and microbes.

Erosion and Transport

Erosion is the process of wear away rocks and soils through the action of wind, water, or ice.
It involves the movement of loosened or dissolved material from the place of weathering, a process known as transport.
It results in deposition, the accumulation or layering of eroded material at a new location.
Common natural agents of erosion include gravity, running water, glaciers, waves, and wind.

Plate Tectonics

Plate tectonics is the concept that the Earth’s crust is made up of large pieces or plates that move over the molten upper part of the Earth’s mantle.
These plates move, collide, separate and slide past each other, leading to several geological phenomena including earthquakes, volcanic activity, and mountain building.
There are three types of plate boundaries: convergent (where plates collide), divergent (where plates move away from each other), and transform (where plates slide past each other).

Volcanism

Volcanism relates to the eruption of molten rock (magma) onto the surface of the Earth.
Magma reaching the surface through a volcano is known as lava.
Volcanic eruptions can result in additional consequences, such as lahars (mudflows), pyroclastic flows, or creation of landforms like mountains, plains, plateaus, and valleys.

Sedimentation

Sedimentation is the process of depositing sediments, or particles, that were transported by the agents of erosion to a new location.
Sedimentation is usually followed by compaction and cementation, and results in the formation of sedimentary rocks.
Different sedimentary environments, such as marine, fluvial, aeolian, produce different types of sedimentary rocks including sandstone, shale, and limestone.

These points provide a valuable starting point in Geological Processes. However, it should be complemented with additional detailed study and revision for thorough understanding.