How can you tell the difference between erosin, unconformities and angular unconformities?

-- Jihan Antrobus (antrobus@oswego.edu), March 26, 2001

Answers

Erosion is the general term used to describe any process that loosen material (like soil, rock fragments) and move it downhill, carry it elsewhere, deposit it and, as a result, leaves new rock exposed to the elements to become weathered. Unconformities is a boundary between formations; examing the layers determine whether erosion took place and what caused the exposure and weathering of the area. Angular unconformities are just a type of unconformity indicating past tectonic activity.

-- Hillary Millman (millman@oswego.edu), April 04, 2001.