Yes, that's exactly what's going on here. The processes last quite a long time. Similarly, a drought that doesn't last that long (relative to the life of a bi

Yes, that's exactly what's going on here. The processes last quite a long time. Similarly, a drought that doesn't last that long (relative to the life of a big tree) can nevertheless kill that tree even though said tree has been growing for centuries. In other words, there need be no correlation between how little time it takes to ruin something that takes a very long time to make.