Final answer:
Several natural processes, including erosion, volcanic activity, tectonic plate movements, and freeze-thaw cycles, are responsible for splitting rocks and greatly changing the landscape of a region.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rocks can split and break due to several natural processes, transforming the regional landscape significantly. Erosion by wind and water, volcanic activity, tectonic plate movements, and the freezing and thawing of water are four key causes of such changes. These processes can lead to the creation of mountain ranges, valleys, cliffs, and other geological features through the weathering of rocks and the reformation of landscapes.The Earth's crust is dynamic and constantly changing due to the movement of tectonic plates. This movement can cause earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the formation of mountains, which are largely the result of tectonic forces. However, the shaping of mountain ranges and other landforms does not stop there. Following their creation, processes like erosion by water and ice, the action of wind, and the freeze-thaw cycles of water in cracks exert significant influence, slowly sculpting the landscape. Over time, features like sharp peaks, valleys, and even entire ecosystems can emerge or disappear entirely. Volcanic eruptions also contribute by producing new rock formations, changing the topography.In conclusion, the forces that break and split rocks are a combination of the movement of the Earth's crust, climatic effects like erosion and weathering, as well as direct geological events such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. These forces work together over geological time scales to continuously modify and shape our planet's surface, resulting in the landscapes we observe today.