PRINCIPLE TYPES OF

PHYSICAL WEATHERING
 UNLOADING
Unloading occurs when overlying material, such as soil or
another rock stratum, is removed (most commonly through
erosion) and confining pressure on the underlying rock is
decreased. In response, the rock generally fractures into
sheets which lie perpendicular to the direction in which
pressure is released. Since the most common occurrence is
the removal of a horizontal layer of material above the
rock, the results of unloading are often seen as sheets of
rock which lie parallel to the surface topography.
 THERMAL EXPANSION
Thermal expansion describes the effects of heating and cooling
on a rock. Over the course of a day, week, year, etc. a rock is
heated and cooled repeatedly if exposed to the elements.
Consider a rock outcrop in a moderate climate. During the day,
this rock is exposed to sunlight, gradually heating the rock and
causing it to expand. As the temperature drops overnight, the
rock begins to cool and contract. Moreover, the rock may not be
uniformly heated or cooled depending on its orientation and a
variety of other factors. The repeated heating and cooling places
stress on the rock which can cause it to fracture and break
 FREEZE THAW
One common type of physical weathering is ice
or frost wedging. Frost wedging is a natural result
of the fact that water expands when it freezes. If
water gets into a fracture in a rock and freezes,
it can expand and put pressure on the rock
from within the fracture. Over time, successive
cycles of freezing and thawing can cause this
fracture to expand. Eventually, a piece of the
rock may be broken off along this fracture.
 SALT CRYSTAL GROWTH
• Salt crystallization, otherwise known as haloclasty, causes
disintegration of rocks when saline solutions seep into
cracks and joints in the rocks and evaporate, leaving salt
crystals behind. These salt crystals expand as they are
heated up, exerting pressure on the confining rock.
• Salt crystallization may also take place when solutions
decompose rocks (for example, limestone and chalk) to
form salt solutions of sodium sulfate or sodium carbonate,
of which the moisture evaporates to form their respective
salt crystals.
 HYDRATION
• Chemical combination of water molecules with a particular
substance or mineral leading to a change in structure.
• Soil forming minerals in rocks do not contain any water and
they under go hydration when exposed to humid conditions.
Up on hydration there is swelling and increase in volume of
minerals. The minerals loose their luster and become soft.
It is one of the most common processes in nature and works
with secondary minerals, such as aluminium oxide and iron
oxide minerals and gypsum. (e.g.)
 PRINCIPAL TYPES OF
CHEMICAL WEATHERING
 OXIDATION
Oxidation is the reaction of a substance with
oxygen. You are probably familiar with oxidation
because it is the process that causes rust. So, just
like your car turns to rust through oxidation, rocks
can get rusty if they contain iron.
 Ex:
You may have noticed that rusted metal on your car
is somewhat fragile; you could even poke your finger
through a rust patch if it's big enough. This is
because, when iron reacts with oxygen, it forms iron
oxide, which is not very strong. So, when a rock gets
oxidized, it is weakened and crumbles easily,
allowing the rock to break down. Iron oxide is kind of
brownish-red in color, and this explains why some
rocks look red.
SOLUTION AND CARBONATION
Solution: Some substances present in the rocks are
directly soluble in water. The soluble substances are
removed by the continuous action of water and the
rock no longer remains solid and form holes, rills or
rough surface and ultimately falls into pieces or
decomposes. The action is considerably increased
when the water is acidified by the dissolution of
organic and inorganic acids.
Carbonation: Carbon dioxide when dissolved in
water it forms carbonic acid.
 HYDROLYSIS
-is the chemical breakdown of a substance when
combined with water. You can recall this term by
remembering that the prefix 'hydro' means 'water,' and
the suffix 'lysis' means 'to break down.'
The most common example of hydrolysis is feldspar,
which can be found in granite changing to clay. When
it rains, water seeps down into the ground and comes
in contact with granite rocks. The feldspar crystals within
the granite react with the water and are chemically
altered to form clay minerals, which weaken the rock.
 EX:
An easy way to remember hydrolysis is to think
of it as the same process you go through each
morning when you make a cup of coffee.
When the water you add to your coffee maker
heats up, it filters down through the coffee
grains. The water chemically reacts with the
coffee grains, giving you a chemically different
substance called coffee.