E186: How has weathering affected Earth? [SJK Audio Edition]

E186: How has weathering affected Earth? [SJK Audio Edition]

From SJK Audio Edition by Science Journal for Kids

March 30, 2026 · 11 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of weathering on Earth's geological history through the analysis of marine sediments.

Read this article at: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-has-weathering-affected-earth/ or watch at: https://youtu.be/_Gh4H-8lm24 Summary : Researchers analyzed marine sediments to determine the weathering patterns over the last two billion years. Abstract : Have you ever wondered why the Grand Canyon is so deep? Weathering of rocks creates features like this. Physical and chemical weathering affect the shape and composition of the continents. They also impact the movement of elements between the continents and the ocean. We wanted to better understand these weathering processes. We analyzed samples containing marine sediments up to 2,000 million years old. Marine sediments collect particles weathered from the continents. We looked at the amounts of four elements related to weathering. We saw a shift in weathering about 650 million years ago. Erosion and particle transport dominated weathering processes before that. Afterwards, the chemical weathering of rocks became more important, but not always. The shifting importance of chemical and physical processes related to regular movements of the Earth’s crust and mantle. This information helps us understand more about…

Topics covered

  • weathering
  • geological history
  • marine sediments
  • erosion
  • chemical weathering

Keywords

  • weathering
  • Grand Canyon
  • marine sediments
  • erosion
  • chemical weathering
  • geological history
  • Earth's crust

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Science Journal for Kids

Places: Grand Canyon

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