Introduction
Volcanism is the eruption of melted rock (called magma) and its associated gases onto the surface of
the Earth. Volcanism commonly produces volcanoes and volcanic flows. Tectonism involves the movement of rock by fracturing and faulting, which results in earthquakes. Gradation involves the erosion, transportation, and deposition of surface materials. On Earth, water, wind, gravity and ice are the major agents of gradation. Impact cratering occurs when material from outside the EarthÕs atmosphere (meteoroids, comets) strike the surface.
Procedure
A. Cut out magazine pictures illustrating each of the four processes: volcanism, tectonism, gradation,
impact cratering. Try to find at least two pictures showing landforms produced by each process.
B. Go through recent newspapers and collect articles describing activities related to the four geologic
processes.
C. Put the pictures and articles together in a Òscrapbook, Ó with one process per section (e.g., the volcanic pictures and articles together on a page or two).
D. Study the pictures and write short descriptions of
the surface features produced by each process.