In the water cycle, the transport of minerals from mountain regions to the ocean by rivers is part of which geological process?

Correct answer: Leaching and chemical erosion

Direct answer: B, leaching and chemical erosion. Rainwater reacts with exposed rocks and soil, dissolving some minerals and weakening rock material. Flowing water then transports dissolved ions and suspended particles from higher mountain land toward streams, rivers and the ocean. This combined weathering, erosion and transport contributes to the movement of minerals in Earth systems and can add dissolved salts to the sea over very long periods. A is a phase change from solid directly to gas, not river transport. C is the entry of water into soil, usually downward, and does not describe the river’s downstream mineral journey. D is the change of water vapour into liquid water. The wording is broad: rivers may carry both dissolved material and sediment, so “chemical erosion” alone does not describe every part, but option B best captures the intended process. Memory cue: “weathering releases; rivers transport.”