GEOG 3B

WEATHERING PROCESSES
Land, Water & Life


 The Denudation of Geologic and Erosional Landforms:

General set of processes by which earth materials at Earth Surface are worn
away and the resulting sediments are transported to the sea by fluid agents
is called Denudation.
 Weathering
 Mass wasting
 Fluvial erosion
 Glacial erosion
 Wind erosion

Weathering includes the processes that act at or near the earth’s surface to
cause physical breakdown and chemical decomposition of geologic
materials.

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 CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL GEOG 3B
Land, Water & Life
WEATHERING 

 Weathering: the initial process in preparing geologic

materials for the denudation process, the processes that
act at or near the earth’s surface to cause physical
breakdown and chemical decomposition of geologic
materials;
 process by which rocks break down
 transformation into materials that are less resistant to gravitational and
erosional forces
 prepares rocks for transportation
 underlies formation of regolith
 is basis of soil development
 is basis for plant life
 results in chemical composition of oceans

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 CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL GEOG 3B
Land, Water & Life
WEATHERING 

 These two processes interact

 Chemical Weathering typically acts on the boundary surface of Minerals
 Mechanical Weathering typically breaks down Minerals and Rocks
along lines of weakness
 Chemical Weathering further acts on enhanced lines of weakness,
enabling further Mechanical Weathering
 Weathering products include:
 Materials of different mineral composition
 Materials of different sizes
 Layers of weathered material
 Solutes in aqueous solution
 Characteristic Landforms

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 GEOG 3B

CHEMICAL WEATHERING
Land, Water & Life


 Chemical weathering involves changes in the mineral

and chemical composition of earth materials
 Chemical weathering occurs at mineral surfaces
 Rate of chemical weathering depends strongly on
surface area
 Susceptibility to chemical weathering depends on
mineral stability (weathering sequence)

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 GEOG 3B

CHEMICAL WEATHERING
Land, Water & Life


 Chemical Weathering Processes:

 Solution
 Hydration
 Hydrolysis
 Carbonation
 Oxidation
 Chelation

 Products of Chemical Weathering:

 Aqueous Solution
 Weathered Rock
 Clay Mineral

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 GEOG 3B

HYDRATION & HYDROLYSIS

Land, Water & Life


 Hydration: A physical weathering process involving

water, although not involving any chemical change;
water is added to a mineral, which initiates swelling and
stress within the rock, mechanically forcing grains apart
as the constituents expand.
 Hydrolysis: a chemical weathering process in which
minerals chemically combine with water; a
decomposition process that causes silicate minerals in
rocks to break down and become altered.
3KALSi3O8 + 2H+ <==> KAI2(ALSi3O10)(OH)2 + 6 SiO2 + 2K+

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 GEOG 3B

CARBONATION
Land, Water & Life


 Carbonation: A chemical weathering process in which

gaseous carbon dioxide dissolves into water, resulting in
weak carbonic acid. This acid (present even in pure
rainwater) reacts with many minerals that contain
calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium (especially
limestone), transforming them into carbonates.

CO2 + H2O <==> H2CO3

CaCO3 + H2CO3 <==> Ca2+ + 2HCO3-

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 PRODUCTS OF CHEMICAL GEOG 3B
Land, Water & Life
WEATHERING 

 Products of Chemical Weathering:

 Aqueous Solution
 Clay Mineral
 Granular material

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 GEOG 3B

CLAY MINERALS
Land, Water & Life


 Crystalline reaction products from

aqueous solution (aluminum and
iron oxides are amorphous reaction
products)
 Layered hydrated silicates of Al, Fe,
and Mg
 Particle size <0.002 mm diameter
 Significant components of soil
nutrient status and water holding
capacity

Figure 1.5. Clay minerals (from Mitchell, 1993 after Tovey, 1971)
a) Kaolinite; b) halloysite; c) montmorillonite d) illite

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CLAY MINERALS

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 MECHANICAL (PHYSICAL) GEOG 3B
Land, Water & Life
WEATHERING 

 Physical Weathering Processes:

 Thermal Stress
 Frost Action
 Crystal Wedging
 Root Wedging
 Unloading
 Exfoliation

 Products of Physical Weathering:

 Granular Material

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 MECHANICAL (PHYSICAL) GEOG 3B
Land, Water & Life
WEATHERING 

 Physical Weathering is fundamentally caused by

changes in Pressure and Temperature acting on Earth
Materials for a variety of reasons.
 Physical Weathering is caused principally by Mechanical Stress leading
to Granular Disintegration of Rocks
 Granular Disintegration tends to work along lines of weakness in Rocks
 Some lines of weakness are created as Unloading of Rocks occurs as
a result of erosion of overlying materials
 Such weathering occurs in characteristic environmental conditions

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UNLOADING

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 LANDFORMS RESULTING FROM GEOG 3B
Land, Water & Life
WEATHERING 

 Some characteristic landforms resulting from mechanical

and chemical weathering include:
 Exfoliation (and exfoliation domes)
 Spheroidal weathering forms
 Talus slopes
 Karst landforms
 Karst development

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 GEOG 3B

RATES OF WEATHERING
Land, Water & Life


 Weathering of geologic material is determined by:

 Rock type, structure
 Climate (TC, rainfall)
 Vegetation
 Time

 Example: Rock structure influences weathering rates

through openings in surface and near-surface geological
materials
 Microscopic spaces
 Joints
 Faults
 Lava Vesicles
 Solution cavities

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 GEOG 3B

IN SUMMARY
Land, Water & Life


 Weathering and its role in Denudation

 Weathering plays the key initial role in the Denudation Process

 Chemical Weathering and removal of geologic materials in aqueous

solution is the dominant process in many regions

 Mass wasting, erosion, and transport typically work on weathered rock

 Weathering also leads to soil formation, and is therefore

vital to sustaining life on this planet !!

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