EXOGENIC PROCESSES

- Exogenic processes are processes that occurs outside the surface of the earth.

Weathering is the general term applied to the combined action of all physical and
chemical processes that disintegrate and decompose rocks near Earth’s surface through the
elements of weather.

Types of weathering:

Physical Weathering- happens whenever rocks are broken up without any change in
their chemical composition. Factors leading to this weathering includes pressure, warm,
temperature, water, and ice.

Block disintegration – is caused by successive heating and cooling which causes the expansion
and contraction of rocks. This repeated expansion and contraction creates stress along the
joints, eventually breaking down the rock, block by block.

Exfoliation – is the stripping of the outer layers of rocks due to intense heating. Since rocks
are poor conductors of heat, the inner layers remain almost unaffected by heat.
Frost weathering- refers to the alternate freezing and thawing of water inside the joints of
the rocks, causing them to split into small particles or fragments.

Chemical Weathering- is the weakening or disintegration of rocks and the formation of

new compounds or new compounds or new substances caused by chemical reactions.
Oxidation – is the process in which oxygen reacts with the rock and changes its mineral
composition.
- The greatest impact of this process is observed in ferrous rock which causes the
rock to rust.
Carbonation- is the process involving the formation of various types of carbonates in rocks.
Some of these carbonates are soluble in water. For example, when rainwater containing
carbon dioxide forms carbonic acid, it passes through permeable limestone rocks.
This process results in the enlargement of rocks and removal of lime, which holds the
particles together.

Biotic Weathering- is the weathering or disintegration of rocks caused by living

organisms.

Plants contribute to both mechanical and chemical weathering. The roots of the plants
penetrate into joints of the rocks searching for moisture. As the roots grow larger and thicker,
they exert pressure on the rocks. The pressure acts as a wedge, widening and extending the
cracks, and breaking the rock into fragments.

Animals like earthworms, rats, rabbits, termites and ants breakdown the rocks through
burrowing. These disintegrated rocks can easily be exposed to more intense processes, or be
eroded or removed by other agents. The action of microbes on rocks changes the chemical
composition of rocks. This makes the rocks more susceptible to weathering.

Humans play a very important role in the weathering of rocks. Provisions for agriculture,
construction of houses, and construction of roads, among others, require large amounts of
rocks to be broken down. Mining minerals also require breaking, weakening, and loosening of
rocks.

Soil Erosion- is the product of weathering. It is the disintegration of rocks into particles
of soil. The removal of soil at a greater rate than its replacement by natural agencies is
known as soil erosion.

Types of Erosion:
Wind erosion- happens when winds carry vast quantity of fine soil particles and sand away
from a region, spreading it over adjoining cultivated land and destroying their fertility.

Sheet Erosion- is the removal of thin layers of soil because of surface runoff and
rain. This type of erosion is coming along the riverbeds and areas affected by floods.
If left unattended, the soil could be completely exhausted or devoid of nutrients due
to removal of topsoil, rendering it completely unusable for agriculture.