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MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY jµ_ardnasac

Have you ever thought of . . .
MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY jµ_ardnasac

.
Why are beach stones and rocks smooth?
Why are sands so fine?

How are caves or canyons formed?

How was this even possible?

Devils Marbles (Australia)

WEATHERING
Module 1 – Part 3
›vš
CE 2131
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MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac

Earth (geologic) processes

Endogenous Exogenous §breakdown of rocks at earth’s surface under the influence of certain
physical and chemical agencies
• Also known as hypogenic process • Also referred to as epigenic process
• Processes that originate within the • Processes of external origin
earth’s crust
• Mainly affected by the thermal energy of • Derived from energy from external 1. Disintegration 2. Decomposition
the crust derived from disintegration of sources of earth such as sun, wind,
radioactive elements and gravitation water and more 3. Denudation
• Earthquakes • Degradation and gratification
• Tectonic movements • Weathering
• Vulcanism • Deposition
1. Nature of rocks 2. Length of time
• Create disparities in earth surface • erosion
• Eliminate inequalities in earth surface 3. Climate
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MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac

1. Disintegration 1. Physical Weathering

§the process of breaking up of rocks into small pieces by the §Also called physical weathering
PROCESSES OF WEATHERING

mechanical agencies of physical agents

TYPES OF WEATHERING
§Physical breakdown of rock masses under the attack of
2. Decomposition certain agents (wind or water)
§the process of breaking up of mineral constituents to form
new components by the chemical actions of the physical §A single rock block is broken gradually into smaller irregular
agents fragments and then into particles smaller dimensions
3. Denudation
§term used when the earth surface is worn away by the §most active in cold, dry and higher areas of the earth surface
chemical and mechanical actions of physical agents and the
§Temperature variations are responsible to a great extent of
lower layers are exposed
physical weathering
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2. Chemical Weathering 3. Biological Weathering

§The chemical decomposition of the rock § caused by organisms such as fungi and small animals or
plants
TYPES OF WEATHERING

TYPES OF WEATHERING
§internal structure of mineral is altered by addition or removal
of elements due to the chemical reaction between the §These organisms contribute to weathering by constant
atmosphere and the rocks rubbing and carving of soil as the tunnel underground

§takes place in the presence of water which dissolves many §May be under MECHANIAL if their effects on rocks are
active gases from the atmosphere physical

§conditions are defined primarily by chemical composition of §If Organisms Cause Change In Chemical Structure, Then Bio
the rocks humidity and the environmental surrounding the rock weathering Is Considered A Chemical Weathering
under attack
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MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac

§FREEZE – THAW STRESS §THERMAL STRESS

TYPES OF WEATHERING: PHYSICAL WEATHERING

TYPES OF WEATHERING: PHYSICAL WEATHERING

§ otherwise called frost weathering or § process where temperature changes
cryofracturing contribute to mechanical weathering

§Liquid water seeps through cracks and §Changes in temperature causes rocks
crevices of rock and freezes at low to expand (heat) and contract (cold)
temperatures.
§Weakens the structure of rock as it
§Ice expands and acts as a wedge, that continuously happen
widens the cracks until it splits
§Rocky desert landscapes are Image subject to copyright.

§When ice melts, liquid water erodes and Image subject to copyright.
particularly vulnerable
carries small fragments lost in the split © national geographic

© national geographic

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MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac

§EXFOLIATION §OTHER EXAMPLES:

TYPES OF WEATHERING: PHYSICAL WEATHERING

TYPES OF WEATHERING: PHYSICAL WEATHERING

§ contributes to formation of bornhardts, §HALOCLASTY
formed through weathering and erosion §Saltwater gets into cracks and
pores;
§Due to the difference in pressure from §Salt is left behind after
uplift of rock evaporation and grows putting
§Overlying materials are removed pressure on the rock
through the process of unloading §HONEYCOMB
§Formation with hundreds of pits
§underlying rocks expands form released formed by growth of salt crystals
of pressure §SALT UPWELLING Honeycomb weathering. © national Geographic Photographed by Michael Melford

§Almost like haloclasty, only it

§Rock surface becomes vulnerable to Image subject to copyright

“sheeting” occurs underground

© national geographic © national geographic

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TYPES OF WEATHERING: CHEMICAL WEATHERING

§CARBONATION §OXIDATION

TYPES OF WEATHERING: CHEMICAL WEATHERING

§Carbon dioxide from air or §Works on rocks that contain
soil combines with water iron

§Produces weak acid §Rocks turn to rust through the

(carbonic acid) that can interaction of oxygen and iron
dissolve rock in the presence of water

§Most effective in dissolving §Expansion of rust weakens

limestone which can open rocks and helps with breaking Oxidized rock. © johnny Rodgers (flickr)

up cracks or hollow out vast Limestone Caves of Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico. © National Geographic .
Photographed by Willis T. Lee up
networks of caves
© national geographic © national geographic

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MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac

§DECAY
TYPES OF WEATHERING: CHEMICAL WEATHERING

TYPES OF WEATHERING: CHEMICAL WEATHERING

§HYDRATION
§Chemical bonds of minerals §Living or once-living organisms
changed with the interaction of acts as agents of chemical
water weathering
§When mineral anhydrite reacts with
water, it is transformed into gypsum §The remains of plants and some
(the most common mineral on
fungi form carbonic acid that
earth)
weakens and dissolve rocks
§HYDROLYSIS
§A new solution (mixture) is formed
as chemicals in rock interact with §Some bacteria weathers rocks to
water Wave Rock. © National Geographic Photograph by Uli Schnakenberg access nutrients such as Subject to copyright

§Sodium minerals form saltwater magnesium or potassium

solution
© national geographic
© national geographic

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MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac

Burrowing 1. EROSION
TYPES OF WEATHERING: BIOLOGICAL WEATHERING

Animals a. DEFLATION
§ Process of wind removing loose
material from flat dry areas,
uncemented sediments
Plant Roots Rabbits dig burrows and along the way
Small bushes grows through cracks in
rocks (subject to copyright) breaks some rocks © georevision
§ Occurs in deserts, dry lake beds,
Microbial floodplains and glacial washout
Activity plains

b. ABRASION
§ Scraping of rock surface by
Human Activities friction between rocks and
Fungus with moss growing
weathered rock © freepik.com
Mining rocks as it is done by humans
© georevision moving particles
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MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac

2. TRANSPORTATION 3. DEPOSITION OF SEDIMENT

Ø The total sediment load carried by a wind Ø sediments get dropped and deposited forming what are known as
can be divided into two Aeolian deposits
a. Bed load a. Sand dunes
§ larger and heavier particles such as Barchans Dunes
sands or gravels
§moved by the winds but not lifted
more than 30 to 60 cm of the earth Transverse Dunes
surface
b. Suspended load
§finer clay or dust particles which are
lifted by the moving winds by a Longitudinal
distance of hundreds of meters above
Dunes
the earths surface
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3. DEPOSITION OF SEDIMENT 1. EROSION

a. Loess § detachment and transport of soil material by water
§ Loosely compacted yellowish(to gray) deposits of windblown § could be natural or facilitated by human activity
sediments
Inter – rill erosion: Gully erosion: :
Due to rainwater impact removal of soil along
drainage lines by
surface water runoff

Rill erosion: bank erosion:

CE 2131 – GEOLOGY FOR ENGINEERS
the wearing away of the
Runoff shear force
banks of a stream or river
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MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac

2. TRANSPORTATION 3. DEPOSITION OF SEDIMENT

Ø Flowing water is one of the most important Ø sediments are deposited by running water, heavier particles are
agents of transportation of soils deposited first, as the water loses energy
Dissolved load: Ø DELTA
composed of ions in solution. Ø sediment and silt deposited landform formed
usually carried in the water all the way to the ocean. by rivers in their lower course right at the point
where they enter the sea
Suspended load:
Sediments carried as solids as the stream flows
Ø BEACH
forms when waves deposit sand
size of particles that can be carried is determined by the
and gravel along the shoreline
stream’s velocity
Ø SAND BAR
Bed load: Ø Offshore Bar, submerged or partly exposed
Particles that are too large to be carried as suspended ridge of sand or coarse sediment that is
load are bumped and pushed along the stream bed as built by waves offshore from a beach
bed load.
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MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac

1. MAGMATISM 2. VOLCANISM
• is the emplacement of any of various processes and phenomena associated with the surficial
magma within and at the discharge of molten rock, pyroclastic fragments, or hot water and steam
surface of the outer layers of a 2 types:
terrestrial planet 1. Intrusive
magma cools and
• magma solidifies as igneous Solidifies underneath
rocks The surface

• Magma forms when rocks 2. Extrusive

reach temperatures between Magma cools and
800-12000 degree Celsius Solidifies at the earth’s
surface

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MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac

3. METAMORPHISM
alteration of the composition or structure of a rock by heat, vselection of suitable quarry for the extraction of stones for structural and
pressure, or other natural agency decorative purposes
2 types: vweathering always causes a lose in the strength of the rocks or soil
1. Contact metamorphism 2. Regional metamorphism
vFor a construction engineer it is always necessary to see:

v the extent the area under consideration for a proposed project has
been affected by weathering

v the possible effects of weathering processes typical of the area on the

construction materials

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MODULE 1 : GENERAL GEOLOGY Part 3 : Weathering and Earth Process jµ_ardnasac MODULE 1 Part
: GENERAL
3 : Weathering
GEOLOGY and Earth Processes jµ_ardnasac

v In general, no site is selected for any type of important work on the

moving dunes because such dunes are always a source of trouble

v moving dunes damage certain important works

v IF compelled to select such a site, special methods should be

adopted to check the motion of the moving dunes

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2131
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– GEOLOGY
– geology for
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