Shale contains clay and is in small, thin layers. It easily breaks down during rain events to form regolith as seen in roadcuts on the side of the road. However, most of the minerals in shale are not readily reactive with acidic rain or oxygen, so it does not readily weather through chemical means. Sandstone is made of quartz, a chemically nonreactive mineral that does not readily undergo chemical weathering. Sandstone is more durable than shale, but when weathering does occur, it is primarily from physical weathering processes.
Limestone is created by the body parts of sea creatures.
When the sea creatures died, the calcium carbonate shell and skeletal structure settled to the bottom of the sea, where is collected, was compacted, and became a sedimentary rock. Coal is formed in swamps, not seas, and shale and sandstone can have terrestrial origins. The answer is e. Erosion removes the top layers of soil, exposing new regolith to the wind and water that cause weathering, while weathering breaks larger particles into smaller particles, increasing their potential to be eroded by wind or water. Erosion in Seattle is predominantly from water . Erosion in Kansas is predominantly from wind .