Weathering is the breakdown of rocks and minerals at Earth's surface through exposure to the atmosphere. Erosion involves the movement and breaking down of weathered rocks and minerals by forces like water, ice, wind, and gravity. Continental drift is the concept that continents move over geologic time, which was first proposed in the 11th century but attributed to alluvium deposition rather than land movement. Plate tectonics describes the large-scale motions of Earth's plates and encompasses earlier theories of continental drift and seafloor spreading. Climate change refers to long-term shifts in average weather patterns like temperature, precipitation, and wind in a particular region.