Denudation

As denudation ( denudare from the Latin " bare " ) is called in the geology of an areally acting ablation of the continental surface. The Denudationsprozesse carry the regolith from exposure to the underlying rock, if they are not compensated. In many cases, erosion and denudation are summarized in the term erosion.

The term is also used in other sciences, such as medicine and psychology, in terms of " exposure ".

Denudation in geology

Transport media

The processes of denudation can be subdivided according to the transport medium:

• No medium (fall, due to gravity )
• Unconcentrated water (sinks )
• Pore ​​water, ice, snow ( flow, fluvial )
• Other lubricants, such as clay in the flysch, salt ( Haselgebirge )
• Releasing effects ( Karst )
• Frost action ( periglacial )
• Glaciers ( glacial )
• Wind ( aeolian )

Types of denudation

• Sturzdenudation occurs primarily on steep rock walls. Loose particles fall down the slope and form a lintel or scree. Here, the particles sort according to their particle sizes: larger particles fly or roll further than small ones. A special case are rockslides: by earthquakes, frost damage or moisture it comes to crash complete mountain flanks, which sometimes can steepen and existing Talschultern.

• Versatzdenudation: By water -swellable clay minerals recording or freezing of ground water, the material expands. When water discharge or thawing of the ground water, the soil material contracts again. Because the ground surface repeatedly raises and lowers, the soil particles are displaced downslope - see also landslide.

• Denudation by slip or glide: material moves as a compact unit on a sliding surface (preferably on water-impermeable clays ) downslope. Special forms of such sliding operations on steep slopes are avalanches, debris flows and the emergence of some Plaiken ( slipping to the turf ).

• Fließungen: If fine earth rich material is complete ( and not only above the sliding surface ) water- saturated, it comes on slopes to Fließungen. In water-saturated debris flow debris flows downslope mushy.

Denudation is also used as a collective term for the total effect of all the " areal Hangabtragprozesse ".

Denudationsmeter

The time required for removal of a 1 meter thick land surface interval is referred to as Denudationsmeter. The value for Central Europe is an average of about 20,000 years.

Denudation in medicine, dentistry and psychology

• In medicine, for example, the destruction of myelin in the nerve fibers ( demyelination ) is sometimes referred to in multiple sclerosis as denudation. Also we speak, for example, by the denudation of the epidermis.
• In dentistry, it refers to the release of the gum from the tooth, for example as a consequence of periodontal disease.
• Also in the behavioral sciences and psychology we speak of denudation and denudieren, when it comes to uncovering and Undressing, both literally as well as figuratively.