Geological processes change the Earth’s surface overtime through mechanical weathering and plate tectonic movement. Mechanical weathering is when rock breaks down physically instead of a interaction with a chemical reaction. Plate tectonic movement can cause mountain formation when collided against each other, and when slowly move away cause cracks in the ground. There aren’t only two processes that change the Earth’s surface, but a lot of processes that change the Earth’s surface like deposition and chemical weathering

The evidence I saw from the mechanical weathering station was when the rock was put in the can with sandpaper it was a cube. Then after some time of shaking the can the rock came out as an uneven sphere. When the cube was shook in the can with sandpaper, the sandpaper scraped the edges of the cube to make an uneven sphere. From the plate tectonic movement station I saw the two pieces of clay (Earth’s plate tectonics) next to each other, and when the two plates were pushed together they started going up forming a mountain. When they were pulled apart this caused cracks, and slowly broke apart.

In conclusion this evidence shows how geological processes change Earth’s surface. The evidence I found is similar to real life since mechanical weathering happens on the surface but slowly, and plate movement forms mountains on the Earth’s surface. Mechanical weathering can break down the Earth’s geosphere and the matter around it. The matter does not go away but just breaks down. Mechanical weathering can change the Earth’s geosphere into different shapes and sizes. Plate movement happens through energy from the Earth’s hot interior. From this plate movement mountain formation can happen but very slowly, and can form trenches in the Earth’s surface. Even thought you may not see these geological processes happening they are always happening but slowly.

I infer that the Cascade Range located in along the Pacific Coast was formed through plate tectonic movement. Plates colliding together can cause subduction, and subduction can cause the upper plate to go upward. Then after the collision the plates eventually form a mountain. This is one of the many geological processes that are always changing the Earth.

The pieces of evidence that supports my inference is from the lab stations in class, the evidence shows that when the two plates (two pieces of clay) collided they started going upwards forming a mountain.

My evidence from my research shows that subduction had happened between two convergent plates forming the cascade range. Prezi.com states, “The cascade mountains are a chain of volcanoes that formed as the Juan De Fuca plate subducts under the North American Plate.” 

My last piece of evidence is my observation from the image, in the image it looks like two big things collided against each other and formed this landform. The two big things must be plate tectonics since plate tectonics are big pieces of the Earth’s crust. These pieces of my evidence support my inference of plate tectonic movement causing this landform.

About 1.6 million years ago the Cascade mountain range looked like this. They were just plates under the hydrosphere and the geosphere. The plates were right next to each other, but the land and water is far apart.

The heat from the Earth’s core causes convection (heat through water/gasses), and convention can cause plate tectonic movement. When plates move they can go apart from each other, slide past each other, and collide against each other. In this case they collided and caused subduction and one plate went above the other.

The Cascades start forming slowly through subduction. This makes the upper plate lift above the lower plate. Which causes pressure, and then this causes mountain formation.

After this slow, but effective process the Cascade mountain range formed 1.6 million years ago. These huge mountains were once just two plates under land/water that went through a geological process and completely changed.

The End