Task: Class Definition Understanding (ontology: Earth_Environment/SWEET)

Which of the following definitions best describes 'weathering'?

A. A mesoscale zone of anticyclonically turning winds that develops downstream of the Cheyenne Ridge in northeast Colorado and southeast Wyoming, and is often centered just east of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near the town of Longmont, Colorado. The cause of the feature is the interaction of the ambient low level northwest flow with the east?west terrain feature known as the Cheyenne Ridge. See also Denver convergence?vorticity zone.
B. the concept (or Eolian or Æolian) processes pertain to the activity of the winds and more specifically, to the winds' ability to shape the surface of the Earth and other planets. Winds may erode, transport, and deposit materials, and are effective agents in regions with sparse vegetation and a large supply of unconsolidated sediments. [Wikipedia]
C. the concept is the decomposition of rocks, soils and their minerals through direct contact with the Earth's atmosphere. the concept occurs in situ, or with no movement, and thus should not to be confused with erosion, which involves the movement and disintegration of rocks and minerals by agents such as water, ice, wind and gravity.
D. the concept is the motion of a surface (usually, the Earth's surface) as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. [Wikipedia]

Answer: the concept is the decomposition of rocks, soils and their minerals through direct contact with the Earth's atmosphere. the concept occurs in situ, or with no movement, and thus should not to be confused with erosion, which involves the movement and disintegration of rocks and minerals by agents such as water, ice, wind and gravity.