4.

4 WEATHERING
GRADES OF
ROCK
Anon (1995) concluded
that the most effective
schemes for the
classification of
weathered rock have
been those involving
the description of the
grade of intact rock or
zone of mass
weathering.
 WEATHERING
GRADES FOR
METAMORPHIC,
SEDIMENTARY
AND IGNEOUS
ROCK
4
 nak tau percentage soil tu

WEATHERING
PROFILE OF
GRANITE ON
SITE

ni fresh rock

5
 kandungan dalam rocks tu

A) ROCK COMPOSITION
• Mineral weather at different
rates
• Calcite weathers quickly
though dissolution.
• Quartz is very resistant to
chemical and mechanical
weathering.
• Mafic rocks with igneous rock
ferromagnesian minerals
weather more easily.
4.5 FACTORS AFFECTING RATE OF
WEATHERING
6
 B) ROCK STRUCTURE
• Distribution of joints influence rate of
weathering.
• Relatively close joints weather faster.

C) TOPOGRAPHY kedududkan

• Weathering occurs faster on steeper slopes

• Rockslides, rockfalls commonly happen.

7
 dia macam kalau akar
rumput makin besar,
nanti tanah tu merekah D) VEGETATION tumbuhan / rumput
and cause tanah runtuh
• Contribute to mechanical and chemical
weathering.
• Promotes weathering due to increased water
retention.
• Vegetation removal increases soil loss.

E) BIOLOGIC ACTIVITY dari benda hidup

• Presence of bacteria can increase

breakdown of rock.
• Reddish-colored lichen (a fungus and algae)
in rock
tumbuh celah celah kerak and cause integration.

8
 negara yang banyak hujan

F) CLIMATE intensity water is very high

• Climates which have abundance

rainfall and moist will accelerate the
weathering process especially
chemical weathering.
• Dry or cold weather are usually
accelerating the physical weathering
acid rain > react with mineral > disolution

9
4.6 PRODUCTS OF ROCK
WEATHERING
• Most of the soils that cover the earth are
Transported Soil vs Residual Soil
formed by the weathering of various rocks.
• Geologist - Soil is defined as weathered
material that will support the growth of
rooted plants.
• Engineers - Soil is simply unconsolidated
material which typically disintegrates in
water.

10
11
4.7 FORMATION OF SOIL

• Soil forms an essential interface

between the solid earth (geosphere),
biosphere, hydrosphere and
atmosphere.

12
IMPORTANCE OF
SOIL

13
 4.7.1 SOIL
COMPOSITION

• 45% - rock and mineral

fragments.
• 25% - water.
• 5% - decomposed organic
matter (humus, roots,
organisms)
• 25% - air

14
4.7.2 SOIL HORIZON
15
• A soil profile is a vertical cross-section of the soil
showing all its constituent horizons.
• Different soils will have different soil profiles.
• Soil profiles may differ in the types of horizons
they contain, the location of the horizons, or the
depth of the horizons.
• Certain soil horizons or horizon sequences are
the result of hydrologic processes within the soil
and serve as evidence of the magnitude and
direction of water movement within the soil.
4.7.3 FACTORS
AFFECTING SOIL
FORMATION

17
 A) PARENT MATERIAL
• The parent material is the source
of the weathered mineral matter
that makes up most of a soil.
• Eg: A soil developing on
weathering granite will be sandy,
as sand-sized particles of quartz
and feldspar are released from
granite. When feldspar
completely weathered, fine-
grained clay minerals are
formed.
• Residual soil: parent material is
the underlying bedrock
• Transported soil: forms in place
on parent material that has been
carried from elsewhere and
deposited.

18
B) CLIMATE
• Most important factor in soil
formation (precipitation and
temperature)
• It influence:
The rate of weathering which
in turn controls soil thickness.
The rate of humification (the
breakdown of organic matter)
The amount of leaching
(minerals are washed
downwards leaving top layers
of soil without minerals)

19
C) TOPOGRAPHY
• It is influence on drainage,
organic matter accumulation
and profile development.
• This refers to the landscape
position and the slopes it has.
• Steep slope: long slopes mean
water will run down faster and
potentially erode the surfaces
of slopes. The effect will be
poor soils on the slopes, and
richer deposits at the foot of
the slopes. Also, slopes may be
exposed to more direct
sunlight, which may dry out soil
moisture and render it less
fertile.

20
D) TIME
• Soils can take many years to form.
• Younger soils have some
characteristics from their parent
material, but as they age, the
addition of organic matter,
exposure to moisture and other
environmental factors may
change its features.
• With time, they settle and are
buried deeper below the surface,
taking time to transform.
• Eventually, they may change from
one soil type to another.

21
E) PLANTS AND ANIMALS
• Organisms add organic
matter, aid
decomposition,
weathering and nutrient
cycling.
• Affect the rate of humus
formation.
• Worms and burrowing
animals, aerate and mix
soil speeding up
decomposition.

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