WEATHERING OF ROCKS AND MINERALS

BY: ATEEQ SHAH

ROCKS

 Rock are solid, naturally occurring mineral materials

 Rocks may be consists of one mineral or mixture of two or more minerals
 Rock are categorized in three major groups
1. Igneous rocks
2. Sedimentary rocks
3. Metamorphic rocks
Rocks (mixture of minerals)
Igneous rocks

 The rocks formed by cooling and solidification of molten material are

called igneous rocks
 The word Igneous derived from the Latin word “igneus” means fire
 The molten material present beneath earth surface is considered as
“Magma” and when this molten material comes at surface due to high
pressure and temperature then it is said to be “Lava”
Igneous rocks (core temp)
Igneous Rocks

 Igneous rocks are classified into two main groups

1. Intrusive igneous rocks (Plutonic Rocks)
2. Extrusive igneous rocks (Volcanic Rocks)

1. Intrusive Igneous Rocks:

 Intrusive igneous rocks are formed by cooling and crystallization of magma
 These rocks have a coarse texture, because of slow rate of cooling
2. Extrusive Igneous Rocks:
 Extrusive igneous rocks are formed by cooling and crystallization of Lava
 These are fine textured rocks due to high rate of cooling
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
 Igneous rocks are classified on the basis of Colour and rock texture

Rock texture Light-colored minerals Dark-colored minerals

Quartz Feldspars, Muscovite Hornblende, augite, biotite

Coarse Granite Diorite Gabbro Hornblendite

Intermediate Rhyolite Andesite Basalt

Fine Felsite Basalt Glass

 The texture of an igneous rock (fine-grained vs coarse-grained) is dependent

on the rate of cooling : slow cooling allows large crystals to form, fast cooling
yields small crystals. Magmas and their resultant plutonic rock bodies cool and
crystallize slowly and are characterized by coarse-grained texture, in which the
mineral crystals are visible to the unaided eye. On the other hand, lavas cool
quickly at the earth's surface and are characterized by fine-grained texture, in
which the crystals are too small to be seen by the naked eyes
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Igneous

 Igneous rocks are classified into two main groups on the basis of chemical
composition
1. Mafic
2. Felsic
1. Mafic: The term is derived from using the MA from magnesium and the
FIC from the Latin word for iron, but mafic magmas also are relatively
enriched in calcium and sodium. Mafic minerals are usually dark in color
2. Felsic: The term comes from FEL for feldspar and SIC, which indicates the
higher percentage of silica. Felsic minerals are usually light in color
Sedimentary Rocks

 The rocks formed from sediments are called sedimentary rocks

 Sedimentary rocks formed when weathering products released from older
rocks and collected under water and reconsolidate into new rock.
 Sedimentary rocks cover almost 75 % of the earths land surface
 Some of the sedimentary rocks are:
 Sandstone: Formed from an igneous rock (Granite). Quartz sand weathered from
granite and sediments stored in sea shore may become cemented by calcium or
iron in the water to become a solid mass called sand stone)
 Shale : Clay compacted into shale
 Limestone
 Dolomite
Sedimentary Rocks
 Sandstone
Sedimentary Rocks
 Limestone
Metamorphic Rocks
 The rocks produced from pre-existing rocks by the process of metamorphism
 The word metamorphism came from Greek words. Meta mean change and
Morph means form. So metamorphism is the changing of rock forms or
structure. Metamorphism is the change of minerals or geologic texture
(distinct arrangement of minerals) in pre-existing rocks (protoliths), without
melting the protoliths (a solid-state change). The change occurs primarily due
to heat, pressure, and the introduction of chemically active fluids
 When earths plates shift or collide, forces are generated which subject the
igneous and metamorphic rocks to tremendous heat and pressure.
 These forces may compress and partially remelt the rocks, as well as break the
bonds of minerals to form new minerals.
Examples
 Marble
 schist
Metamorphic Rocks
 Marble
Metamorphic Rocks
 Schist
Some of the important sedimentary
and metamorphic rocks

Dominant Mineral Types of Rock

Sedimentary Metamorphic
Calcite Limestone Marble
Dolomite Dolomite Marble
Quartz Sandstone Quartzite
Clays shale Slate
Variable-Silicates Conglomerate Gneiss
Variable-Silicates Schist
Rock Cycle
WEATHERING
Weathering

 Weathering is the disintegration (physical breakdown) and decomposition (chemical

breakdown) of rocks and minerals
 It is a continues process. Rocks  Soil particles  further on
 During physical weathering, particles size continues to decrease and constitutes dissolve
in the weathering solution
 Secondary minerals are formed by chemical alteration of primary minerals
 Weathering occurs due to environment changes and biological activities.
 On the basis of chemical and physical breakdown, weathering is classified into three
main groups:
1. Physical weathering
2. Chemical weathering
3. Biological weathering
1. Physical weathering

 The physical breakdown of rocks and minerals is called physical

weathering.
 In physical weathering, rocks are decreased in size but the chemical
composition remains same.
 Physical weathering is predominate in arid and cold areas.
 Factors responsible for physical weathering are:
1. Temperature
2. Abrasion by water, ice and wind
3. Plants and Animals
1. Temperature

 Minerals have the tendency to expand and contract in varying temperature

 Rocks exposed to sunlight heat up during the day and cool down at night,
cause alternate expansion and contraction of the minerals present in the
rock.
 This expansion and contraction of different minerals in a rock set up
stresses that cause the rock to crack apart.
 Sometimes inner temperature of rocks in lower than that of outer layer,
which may destroy the surface of the rock only. This phenomenon of
peeling away of rock surface is called exfoliation
Exfoliation
2. Abrasion by water, ice and wind
 water
 After rain, flowing water carries and shift sediments
 Water loaded with sediments have a great cutting power
 The rounding of riverbed rocks is a clear evidence of abrasion by water

 Wind
 Windblown dust and sand also affect the rocks by abrasion
 In arid areas, rounded rocks may be formed by abrasion due to windblown
 Ice
 In glacial areas, huge moving ice masses embedded with soil and rock
fragments grind down rocks in their path
Abrasion
3. Plants and Animals

 Plants and animals have a little contribution in physical weathering

 Roots of the small and higher plants may exert pressure on rocks to
become apart
 Narrow spaces produced for the entrance of water. Water on cooling
expanded and exert huge pressure to crack down the rocks
 Animals like ants, earthworms and rodents slowly disintegrate the rocks
 Human may accelerate the intensity of physical weathering by ploughing
and cultivation
Plants on rocks
2. Chemical weathering
 The decomposition of rocks and minerals is called chemical weathering
 Chemical weathering is more severe in warm and humid regions
 It is accelerated by the presence of water, oxygen and organic acids produced
by plants and microorganisms
 In chemical weathering, the chemical composition of rocks and minerals is
slightly or completely destroyed and altered to form new minerals (secondary
minerals)
 Secondary minerals are formed due to chemical weathering
 Processes involved in chemical weathering are:
1. Hydrolysis
2. Hydration
3. oxidation
4. Dissolution
5. Acidification
1. Hydrolysis

 Hydrolysis is the process of breakdown of water molecule into H and OH

ions
 On hydrolysis, H ion added to the mineral composition by replacing
another atom
Example
1. K-feldspar (Microcline)
KAlSi3O8 + H2O  HAlSi3O8 + KOH (Soluble )
2. Acid Silicate clay
2HAlSi3O3 + 11H2O  Al2O3 + 6H4SiO4 (Silicic Acid)
2. Hydration

 The addition of water in a mineral constitute is called hydration

 Hydrated minerals are more prone to decomposition due to their
increased volume which make it more softer
Example:-
Hematite
Fe2O3 + 3H2O  Fe2O3.3H2O (limonite)
3. Oxidation

 Oxidation is a process of :
 Addition of Oxygen
 Removal of electron
 Removal of Hydrogen
Example:
Iron Oxide
 4FeO + O2 + 2H2O  4FeOOH (Geothite)

Oxygen is added to the mineral constitute

4. Reduction

 Reduction is :
 The removal of oxygen
 Addition of Hydrogen
 Addition of electron

 During reduction, Hydrogen is added to the mineral composition and alter it to

form secondary minerals
Example:
Olivine
3MgFeSiO4 + 2H2O  H4Mg3Si2O9 (Serpentine) + SiO2 + FeO
5. Dissolution

 The process of hydrating of cations and anions in the minerals to

dissociate from each other. This process of dissociation is called
dissolution
Example:
CaSO4. 2H2O + 2H2O  Ca + SO4 + 4H2O