Introduction:
Weathering takes place evryday. We may not observe it with our naked eye because changes may be seen
drastically over time.
Objectives:
At the end of the chapter the students would be able to understand:
1. What is weathering as a process.
2. What are the types of weathering.
Motivation
Have you observed that rivers over time become shallow or the sea shore gets nearer or farther from cotteges
in beach resorts? Or have you seen old pictures depicting old churches or stonesand landmark but over time
had faded or weathered away?
WEATHERING
∙ Weathering describes the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on thesurface of the Earth.
Water, ice, acids, salts, plants, animals, and changes in temperature are all agents of weathering.
TYPES OF WEATHERING
Physical Weathering
● also known as mechanical weathering or disaggregation ● process class that causes rocks to disintegrate
without chemical change ● Abrasion (the process by which clasts and other particles are reduced in size) is the
primaryprocess in physical weathering.
● Occurs in places where there is little soil and few plants grow, such as mountain regions and hot deserts.
● Occurs due to temperature, pressure, frost etc.,
● Occurs Either by repeated melting and freezing of water (mountains and tundra) or by expanding and
shrinking the surface layer of rocks baked by the sun (hot deserts)
Chemical Weathering
● changes rock composition, often transforming them into different chemical reactions whenwater
interacts with minerals
● a gradual and ongoing process as the rock mineralogy adjusts to the environment near thesurface.
● enhanced by geological agents such as water and oxygen, as well as biological agents suchas microbial
and plant-root metabolism acids.
● rock’s original minerals develop new or secondary minerals.
● oxidation and hydrolysis processes are most important in this.
● chemical processes require water and occur faster at higher temperatures, so it is best tohave warm,
humid climates.
● first stage in soil production is chemical weathering (especially hydrolysis and oxidation). ● There are
various types of chemical weathering, the most important of which is: 1) Solution
Removal of rock by acidic rainwater in solution. In particular, dissolved
CO2-containingrainwater (this process is sometimes referred to as carbonation) weathers calestone.
2) Hydrolysis
Acidic water breakdown of rock producing clay and soluble salts.
3) Oxydation
∙ Rock breakdown by oxygen and water, often giving a rusty – colored weatheredsurfaceto iron
– rich rocks.
Biological Weathering
● the weakening and subsequent breakdown by plants, animals and microbes of rock. ● Growing roots of
plants can put stress or pressure on rock. Even though the process is physical, a biological process (i.e.
growing roots) exerts the pressure.
● Biological processes can also produce chemical weathering, such as when organic acids areproduced by plant
roots or microorganisms that help dissolve minerals. ● Microbial activity breaks down rock minerals by altering
the chemical composition of therock, making it more weather sensitive.
● One example of microbial activity is lichen ; lichen is a symbiotic relationship betweenfungi and algae. Fungi
release chemical substances that break down rock minerals ; the algaeconsume the minerals thus released
from rock. Holes and gaps continue to develop ontherock as this process continues, exposing the rock to
physical and chemical weathering.
∙ Burrowing animals can move fragments of rock to the surface, exposing the rock tomore intense
chemical, physical, and biological processes, thereby indirectly enhancingthe weathering process.
Weathering vs Erosion
The main difference between weathering and erosion is that there is weathering whereas erosion involves
moving to a new location. Both are caused by wind, water, ice, temperature, and even biological action
similar factors. They can also take place together.
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