PHYSICAL WEATHERING

PHYSICAL WEATHERING
• -Physical weathering is caused by the effects of changing temperature
on rocks, causing the rock to break apart. The process is sometimes
assisted by water.Sometimes called mechanical weathering,this type
of weathering takes place in different ways,depending on the factor
that acts on the rock.
PHYSICAL WEATHER EXAMPLES
• Physical weathering occurs when rocks is broken down through
mechanical procesess such as Exfoliation,Block
disintegration ,Frostweathering
Exfoliation
• Exfoliation is a form of
mechanical weathering in which
curved plates of rock are
stripped from rock below. This
results in exfoliation domes or
dome-like hills and rounded
boulders. Exfoliation domes
occur along planes of parting
called joints, which are curved
more or less parallel to the
surface.
 Block disintegration
• Block disintegration is common
over well-jointed granite in Hong
Kong. In daytime, intense solar
heating causes rocks to expands.
At night, the temperature falls so
rocks cool and contrast.
Repeated expansion and
contraction produce stress along
joints.
Frost weathering
• Frost weathering is a collective
term for several mechanical
weathering processes induced
by stresses created by the
freezing of water into ice. The
term serves as an umbrella term
for a variety of processes such as
frost shattering, frost wedging
and cryofracturing