GEO131A

REPORTING
GROUP 1
 WHAT IS
WEATHERING?
 WEATHERING

is a process of a slow
continuous breakdown of
rocks into smaller particles
that are in equilibrium with
the prevailing environment
 Weathering and Erosion
are often used interchangeably.

Weathering occurs without movement

and involves breaking down of the
substrate by chemical or physical
means whereas, in Erosion,
movement is the main component.
KINDS OF WEATHERING
1. PHYSICAL WEATHERING
2. CHEMICAL WEATHERING
3. BIOLOGICAL WEATHERING
 kinds of weathering
PHYSICAL CHEMICAL BIOLOGICAL
WEATHERING WEATHERING WEATHERING

is the breakdown Minerals in rocks are Living organisms,

of minerals or rock chemically altered ranging from
materials by by this process bacteria to plants to
entirely which subsequently animals (including
mechanical means. decompose and
Lichens), break down
decay
rocks.
 PHYSICAL
WEATHERING
 PHYSICAL
WEATHERING
In this process, the chemical composition of
the weathered rock (mineral) remains
unchanged. Some of the breaking forces
actually originate within the rock or mineral
itself, while others are applied externally. The
stresses (both internal and external) lead to
increased strain that eventually ruptures the
rock.
 MAJOR FACTORS AFFECTING
PHYSICAL WEATHERING
1. Plants (Roots)
2. Animals
3. Crystallization or Growth of Salt Crystals
4. Grinding or Rubbing
5. Abrasion
6. Unloading or Pressure-Release
7. Wetting and Drying
8. Variation in Temperature
9. Freezing and Thawing
10. Heating and Cooling (Thermal
Expansion and Contraction)
 PLANTS
1
(ROOTS)

This process is also called Root

wedging. It occurs when the root of
a plant (especially large trees and
bushes) begins to grow into a crack
or pore within a rock. As the plant
grows larger, so does its root, until
the root breaks the rock apart.
2 ANIMALS

Burrowing by animals (such as worms,

termites, reptiles, rodents, etc.) into
earth’s substrate can move rock
fragments and sediments. These
movements aid in the disintegration
of rocks. Digging by animals or even
plowing by humans also results in the
slow breaking of rocks into finer
particles.
 CRYSTALLIZATION OR
3 GROWTH OF SALT
CRYSTALS

Mineral salts develop from mineral

crystals as water evaporates
moisture from rocks. This is very
common in arid climates. The
mineral grains are spread apart by
these crystal growths. This growth
eventually breaks apart the entire
rock.
 GRINDING OR
4
RUBBING

The disintegration of rock or soil

particles happens by grinding or by
rubbing of
moving rocks or soil particles against
each other.
5 ABRASION

When two rock surfaces come

together causing mechanical
wearing or grinding of their surfaces,
abrasion occurs. This collision
normally occurs through the
erosional transport of materials by
wind, water, and ice.
 UNLOADING OR
6
PRESSURE-RELEASE

The removal of thick layers of

sediments overlying deeply buried
rocks by erosion.
7 WETTING AND
DRYING

Slaking is the alternate wetting and

drying of rocks. It occurs by the
mechanism of ordered water, which is
the accumulation of successive layers of
water molecules in between mineral
grains of a rock. The rock grains are
pulled apart with great tensional stress
due to the increasing thickness of water.
About 20 cycles of alternating wetting
and drying can disintegrate a rock
sample.
 VARIATION IN
8
TEMPERATURE

Slowly cooled rocks that have more

time to build stronger bonds are more
resistant to weathering. Hence, those
rocks formed under intense
temperature and pressure, but cool
slowly, are more stable when exposed
to low temperatures and pressures at
the earth’s surface.
9 FREEZING AND
THAWING

Freezing and thawing occur on a daily

cycle. The expansion force of water as it
freezes can split any mineral orrock.
 HEATING AND COOLING
10 (THERMAL EXPANSION
AND CONTRACTION)

Temperature change can also bring

about exfoliation as often noted in
granitic terrains. Thermal expansion and
contraction are more significant in large
outcrops
 CHEMICAL
WEATHERING
 CHEMICAL
WEATHERING
is the weakening and subsequent
disintegration of rock by chemical reactions.
These reactions include oxidation, hydrolysis,
and carbonation. These processes either form
or destroy minerals, thus altering the nature
of the rock’s mineral composition.
 COMMON CHEMICAL WEATHERING
PROCESSES
1. Dissolution and Solution
2. Hydration
3. Oxidation
4. Hydrolysis
5. Reduction
6. Carbonation and Acidification
 1 Dissolution and Solution

Dissolution occurs when rocks and/or

minerals are dissolved by water. Carbon
dioxide (CO2) dissolves in water (H2O) to
form Carbonic acid (H2CO3) which reacts
chemically with minerals. This acid
dissolves them or alters them into other
minerals. The dissolved material is
transported away leaving a space in the
rock. This process also forms caves in
limestone areas.
 2 Hydration

Some minerals react with water and acid

to take up hydrogen and remove other
cations. This process is called Hydration.
The combination of a mineral or element
with water increases the size of the
chemical structure, thereby leading to a
softer, more stressed, and more easily
decomposed mineral
 3 Oxidation

Oxidation is a chemical combination of

oxygen with a compound. It also brings a
change in the oxidation number of the
chemical element; electrons are lost in the
oxidation process. Oxygen combines with
compound elements in rocks to form
oxides.
 4 Hydrolysis

Hydrolysis is also one of the most

important weathering process that brings
changes in the soil profile.
 5 Reduction

Reduction is the addition of one or more

electrons. Hence, it is the reverse of
Oxidation. Free Oxygen (O2) reacts with
minerals to change the oxidation state of
an ion. This is commonly noted in iron (Fe)
bearing minerals, as Fe can have several
oxidation states, Fe, Fe+2, and Fe+3.
 6 Carbonation and Acidification

Carbonation is especially active when the

reacting environment is abundant with
CO2. Carbonation is the reaction of
carbonate and bicarbonate ions with
minerals.

Acidification is responsible for the

weathering of limestones and the eventual
formation of Sinkholes.
BIOLOGICAL
WEATHERING
 BIOLOGICAL
WEATHERING
Living organisms, ranging from bacteria to plants
to animals (including Lichens), breakdown rocks.
This process of breakdown and their action is
biological weathering. Lichen (a crusty, rubbery,
light green organicmaterial that grows in patches
on rocks as well as on wood) is a combination
offungus and algae that live together in a
symbiotic relationship. They can live on bare
rocks, and are able to breakdown rocks by
secreting acids and other chemicals.
biological weathering
TREE ROOTS BACTERIA

Tree roots grow Acidic solutions are

secreted by some bacteria
into cracks and and other organisms that
speed up chemical
widen them, weathering. Chitons and
thus, facilitating Limpets also facilitate
biological weathering as
physical they bore into beach
weathering rocks.
SUMMARY
 thanks
for LISTENING
 Reference:
Jain, S. (2014). Fundamentals of Physical Geology.
New Delhi, India: Springer Geology. (pp. 131-143)