Climate affects geological processes from "summary" of Principles of Geology, Volume 1 by Charles Lyell,Sir Charles Lyell
The influence of climate on geological phenomena is a subject of considerable interest to the student of nature. The effects of temperature and moisture on the disintegration of rocks, on the transportation of matter by rivers, on the action of waves along the sea-coast, and on the growth and distribution of plants and animals, are all so intimately connected with the state of the atmosphere that they cannot be thoroughly investigated without a constant reference to the present condition of the climate in each region. It is evident that the heat of the sun is the primary agent which gives rise to all the movements of the atmosphere, and that those movements are the immediate cause of most of the changes which take place at or near the surface of the earth. Thus, the heat of the sun causes the air to expand, and when it expands it becomes lighter and ascends, while the colder and denser air from the polar regions flows in to supply its place. This causes the winds to blow from all quarters towards the equator, and from the equator towards the poles, and produces the general circulation of the atmosphere which is so conspicuous a feature of the climate of the globe. The distribution of heat and moisture over the surface of the earth depends on a great variety of causes, such as the inclination of the axis of the earth to the plane of its orbit, the form and position of the land, and the direction of the prevailing winds. These causes, acting together, produce a great diversity of climate in different parts of the globe, and give rise to corresponding differences in the geological phenomena which are everywhere in progress. In a hot and moist climate, the disintegration of rocks goes on rapidly, and the materials produced by this process are easily transported by rivers to the sea. In a cold and dry climate, on the other hand, the disintegration of rocks is slow, and the materials produced are not so easily transported by rivers. Thus, the general character of the geological formations in each region is more or less determined by the climate under which they were formed. The effects of climate on the distribution of plants and animals are equally striking, and are intimately connected with the geological structure of the earth. In a hot and moist climate, the vegetation is luxuriant, and the animal life is abundant and varied. In a cold and dry climate, on the other hand, the vegetation is scanty, and the animal life is comparatively restricted in its range. Thus, the geological history of the earth is closely related to the present
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