WEATHERING AND EROSION

Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students
should be able to:
a) describe how rocks undergo weathering,
b) explain how the products of weathering
are carried away by erosion and deposited
elsewhere, and
c) explain how rocks and soil move
down slope due to direct action of
gravity.
Rock Cycle
 is a model of natural
changes in rocks and
rock material.
 Igneous rock can
change into
sedimentary rock or
into metamorphic rock.
Sedimentary rock can
change into igneous or
metamorphic rock.
Metamorphic rock can
change into igneous or
sedimentary rock.
Principles of Geology present
in Rock Cycle:
1. Nearly all rocks are made
from the remains of other
rocks.
2. Rocks are classified on the
basis of their origin
3. There are variety of ways
that rocks can change in
response to changing
conditions at the surface
within Earth.
On earth’s surface, wind and water
can break rock into pieces. They can
also carry rock pieces to another
place.
What type of rock is this, how can you tell?
 Yosemite Valley, California
Mountains Carved by Glaciers
 Grand Canyon, Arizona

Carved out by the

Colorado River
 Bryce Canyon, Utah
Acidic Rainfall has worn away these rocks.
The harder rocks remain standing… but for how long?
Why do we have such rock
formations?
 Weathering
• Process by which rocks are broken down
due to exposure to processes occurring at
the Earth’s surface
• Caused by
– Water
– Waves
– Wind
The 2 G’s and
the 3 W’s
– Gravity
– Glaciers
 2 Types of Weathering
A. Mechanical Weathering also called
Physical weathering
– Rock is broken down into smaller pieces
of the same material
– (no change in composition)

B. Chemical Weathering
– The breakdown or decomposition of rock that
occurs when minerals are changed into
different substances
– (change in composition)
 Mechanical/Physical Weathering
1. Frost (Ice) Wedging
– Process in which water freezes in the cracks
of rock and wedges (pushes) it apart
because water expands when it freezes.
– Occurs where there are frequent freezes and
thaws.
Explain what is
happening.
• Frost/Ice Wedging
can cause
Potholes to form
in pavement
 Mechanical/Physical Weathering
2. Abrasion
– The wearing away of rock material by
grinding action
– Usually caused by sediment in Wind, Water,
and Glaciers
 Wind abrasion- sandblasting effect on
stationary rocks as seen in Arches National Park
Wind Abrasion
 Water abrasion- water & sediments flowing over
boulders as seen here in Ohiopyle State Park, Pennsylvania

Notice the rounded river rocks

Wind and Water Abrasion
 Processes and Agents of
Mechanical Weathering
3. Thermal expansion
and contraction –
repeated heating and
cooling of materials
cause rigid
substances to crack
and separate

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en-commons/thumb/d/dc/250px-Weathering_freeze_thaw_action_iceland.jpg
 Mechanical/Physical Weathering
4. Plant Growth and
Burrowing Animals
– Plant roots can split
rock
– Also known as: “Root
pry” or “Root action”
– Animals dig holes,
breaks up rocks
Tree roots
also break
up
sidewalks
Plant Wedging
Plant Wedging
 Mechanical/Physical Weathering

5. Exfoliation- gradual peeling of

layers due to uplift and frost action.
Exfoliation of Igneous rock
 Chemical Weathering
– The breakdown or decomposition of rock
that occurs when minerals are changed into
different substances
– (change in composition)

• Involves Water ,water vapor, Acids,

and/or Oxygen

O2
 Chemical Weathering
1. Carbonation
• Carbonic Acid in
water dissolves
Calcite. This
chemical
weathering can
hollow out
underground
Caverns Limestone and Dolomite both
dissolve because they contain
Calcite
Limestone
cave
feature

result of
dissolution
Acid rain (carbonic acid) weathering the details of
statues and tombstones Ex: Marble and Limestone
 Chemical Weathering
2. Oxidation
• Oxidation of minerals
with iron (magnetite,
pyrite) results in the
formation of rust or
iron oxide.
• This is why Mars
is a red planet
• Copper turns rocks
green
 Pyrite Oxidation

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/earth/geology/images/pyrite_sm.jpg

Pyrite

http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/965/75014124.JPG

Limonite
 Chemical Weathering
3. Hydrolysis
Minerals may chemically combine
with water to form new minerals.
Again these are generally not as
hard as the original material.
 Feldspar Hydrolysis

http://www.mii.org/Minerals/Minpics1/Plagioclase%20feldspar.jpg
http://www.uwm.edu/Course/422-100/Mineral_Rocks/kaolinite1.jpg

Feldspar Kaolinite (clay)

 Weathering

Weathering produces regolith (“rock

blanket”) which is composed of small rock
and mineral fragments.

When organic matter is mixed into this

material it is called soil.
 Rate of Weathering
• How fast a rock weathers depends
on 3 factors:
–Surface area
–Rock composition
–Climate
 Rate of Weathering
1. Surface area
– The greater the surface area, the faster
the weathering rate
– There are more surfaces to be weathered
 Rate of Weathering
2. Rock composition
– Some minerals are more
resistant than others
– For example, quartz is more
resistant (harder) than calcite

Quartz Calcite
 Rate of Weathering
3. Climate
(long term pattern of moisture and temperature)
– Weathering rates are faster in warm, wet
climates

Desert vs. Rainforest

 Erosion
– The removal and transport of
weathered materials by natural agents
such as:
1. Glaciers
2. Running water
3. Gravity
4. Wind
5. Waves
 1. Glaciers
• Mass of compacted ice and snow
that moves under its own weight
 Glaciers
• Friction at the base of the glacier is reduced
by a thin film of melt water.
• Glaciers account for about 75% of the fresh
water on Earth
• Glaciers can leave behind large boulders
that are known as an erratic
 Glaciers
• Glaciers can move lots of sediment that
can carve striations (grooves) into rocks

These Striations show how

glaciers moved
 2. Running Water
(Streams and Rivers)
• Velocity - How fast the water moves
• Gradient - The steepness, the slope that a river or
stream travels
• Discharge - The amount of water that moves past a
certain point in a river in a given amount of time
• If there is a steep gradient, high velocity, and
a large discharge, then Erosion will be
severe!
• Rivers have energy to move lots of
sediment, and even large boulders.
 River
stages
affect:
Velocity,
Gradient,
&
discharge
which
cause
Erosion
 3. Transport by Gravity
• The downward transportation of weathered
materials by gravity

Massive Landslide
 Transport by Gravity
• Creep
• Slump
• Mudflow/Earthflow
• Landslide/Rockslide
 Transport by Gravity
A large mass of sediment drops down!
 Transport by Gravity
• Creep
– Very slow movement of earth material.
– Caused by repeated freezing and thawing.

Sediments are
loosened by
expanding frost and
contracting thaw.

Leaning fence posts

and telephone poles
are a sign of Creep.
Fence posts leaning due to creep
 Transport by Gravity
• Slump
– Slow downward movement of a large
mass of soil
Occurs when
underlying sediments
are weakened by
heavy rains
Characterized by a
curved scar in the
land surface.
Slump
can
cause
road
hazards
 Transport by Gravity
• Mudflow/Earthflow
– Thick pastes of sediments that travel downhill at
great speeds
Usually occur in
dry areas that get
a large quantity of
rain all at once

Leaves a cone
shaped deposit
Mudflow in the Blue Ridge
Mooreman’s Gap near Charlottesville
 Transport by Gravity
• Landslide/Rockslide
– Fast movement of large blocks of rock

Occurs in very
steep vertical cliffs

Accelerated by
ice wedging
At the bottom of an old rock slide in N.C. 2011
 Transport by Gravity
Loose sediments transported by gravity are
called scree.

Scree
field

http://www.dave-stephens.com/scrambles/banff/aylmer/aylmer013.jpg
 4. Wave Erosion
• The crashing of waves on a shoreline
combined with storms continually shape the
beach. This is a shoreline with erosion.
 Wave Erosion
• Tidal action and waves carry away weathered
materials.

http://edge.tamu.edu/waves2001/PC_tour/erosion_files/image002.jpg

http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/1000/50195183.JPG
5. Wind Erosion
• Wind moves
sand dunes at
the beach and in
the deserts.
 Wind Erosion
• Wind can carve out landscapes
as it carries sediment
 Wind Transport of Sediments
Wind will carry fine, dry sediments over
long distances.
 Wind Transport of Dust

Photo shows Sahara Desert sand being transported over

the Atlantic Ocean.
Wind and Waves
• Many storms combine water
and wind to cause significant
erosion on landforms.
• Strong winds are capable of
moving large amounts of
sediment
Deposition: The process of
dropping or depositing soil
and sediments.
 Deposition Formation
Transported sediments are deposited in
layers and generate strata like those found in
the Grand Canyon.
Assignment: COPY
AND ANSWER
In 1 whole sheet of pad
paper, answer pages
153-155 of your Earth
Science book. To be
passed next meeting.
Deposition Formation
 Soil
– mixture of weathered rock,
microorganisms and organic material in
which plant roots can grow and that usually
covers bedrock.
 Soil
• In general, soil is an unconsolidated, or
loose, combination of inorganic and
organic materials. The composition of a
soil depends on the rocks from which it
weathered and the local climate.
 Soil formation
1. Weathering is the process of breaking
down of rocks
2. Humus is the dark colored semi-
soluble organic substance formed from
decomposition of soil organic matter. It
is the top layer that is the best layer for
giving crops.
Humus:
Dark organic
matter in soil
that is rich in
nutrients.
Soil Composition
 Soil Composition

What do the arrows mean?

 Different types of soil
1. Forest soil is a kind of soil that grows in
humid weather, cool seasons and forest of
hardwood and evergreen. These soils
have well developed horizons.
2. Desert soils are very dry, shallow, and
they contain much calcium. They can be
fertile when watered.
3.Arctic soils can be found at the bottom
layer and is permafrost and poorly
drained.
 Different types of soil
4. Tropical soil is the soil that thrives in
high temperatures and heavy rain. Most of
this soil is infertile because the rains have
washed away the nutrients.
5. Grassland soil is the kind of soil that
must have enough rain for heavy grass.
 Characteristics of soil
1. Soil color gives information about organic matter in
the soil, drainage, biotic activity, and fertility.
a. Black soil indicates the presence of organic matter,
manganese-oxides, or iron-sulfides.
b. Red soil indicates the presence of iron-oxides
c. Gray soil indicates the presence of elevated water tables
and reduced iron
d. White soil indicates the presence of carbonates or
soluble salts.
e. Yellow soil indicates the presence of goethite a specific
type of iron mineral or pure sulfur which is very rare in
soil.
 Characteristics of soil
2. Soil structure is a term commonly used to
designate the proportionate distribution of the
different sizes of mineral particles in a soil.
a. Sand is a granular form that can be seen
by the naked eye.
b. Loam is a kind of soil that is medium-
textured
c. Silt is a smooth and slimy when wet and its
particles are smaller than sand.
d. Clay is a sticky and mud like projection of
a soil.
 Soil development over time
• Residual soil
– The parent rock is the bedrock beneath the
soil (the soil has not moved)
• Transported soil
– Soil forms from parent material left by
winds, rivers, glaciers, or soil that was
moved from its original location. This
soil has been transported by erosion
and deposition
Factors that affect Soil Composition
• Parent material: What bedrock is it from?
• Time: How long has it had to decompose?
• Plants and animals: How have roots and
animals helped break up the rocks? Were
there acid producing mosses that help break
down the rocks (chemical weathering)?
• Topography: What is the shape of the
landscape?
• Climate: Is it warm & wet? Were there
glaciers present? Was there acid rain?
Soil Profile
• Cross
section of
soil layers
revealing all
soil horizons
 Soil Horizon
• A soil layer with physical and chemical
properties that are different from
adjacent layers
• O Horizon= organic material (humus)
• A Horizon = topsoil
• B Horizon = subsoil
• C Horizon = partially weathered
parent material
Leaching: The removal of nutrients or toxins in
soil as water passes through the layers.
 Soil Texture
• The size
of soil
particles
 Particle size ranges for sand,
silt and clay
 Type of Mineral
  Size Range
Particle

 Sand  2.0 - 0.06 millimeters Large/

Coarse
 0.06 - 0.002
Silt
  millimeters Medium

 less than 0.002 Small/

 Clay millimeters Fine