Earth and Life Science

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NATURE OF EXOGENIC PROCESSES- The earth's surface provides a harsh environment

for rocks. Most rocks originated at much higher temperatures and pressures and in very different
chemical settings than those found at the Earth's surface. Surface and near-surface conditions,
which have comparatively low temperatures, low pressure, and extensive contact with water,
cause rocks to undergo varying amounts of disintegration and decomposition. This breakdown of
rock materials at and near the Earth's surface is known as weathering.
 Rocks weakened and broken by weathering become susceptible to the other exogenic
processes: erosion, transportation, and deposition. A broken (weathered) rock fragment
from a larger mass will be removed from that mass (eroded), moved (transported), and set
down (deposited) in a new location. Together, weathering, erosion, transportation, and
deposition actually represent a continuum of processes that begin with the breakdown of
rock.
 Erosion, transportation, and deposition of weathered rock material often occur with the
assistance of geomorphic agents such as flowing water, wind, moving ice, and waves.
Sometimes, however, the only factor involved is gravity. gravity-induced downslope
movement of rock material that happens without the assistance of a geomorphic agent.
For example, a rock falling from a cliff is known as mass wasting.
 Gravity plays a role in the redistribution of rock materials in geomorphic agents; the term
mass wasting is reserved for movement caused by gravity alone. Whether it is a
geomorphic agent or mass wasting doing the work, fragments of weathered rocks are
removed from high-energy locations and transported to positions of low energy, where
they are deposited.

WEATHERING- Environmental conditions at and near Earth's surface subject rocks to


temperature, pressure, and substances, especially water, that contribute to the physical and
chemical breakdown of rock. Broken fragments of rock are called clasts; their detachment from
the original rock mass can be large or small.
 These detached pieces continue to weather into smaller particles. Fragments might
accumulate close to their source or be widely dispersed by mass wasting and geomorphic
agents.
 Many rock fragments become sediments deposited in such landforms as floodplains,
beaches, or sand dunes, whereas others blanket hillslopes as regolith, the inorganic
portion of soils. Inorganic constituents of soil, without which most vegetation could not
grow.

 There are two main types of rock weathering: Physical Weathering and Chemical
Weathering.
PHYSICAL WEATHERING- Physical weathering is also called mechanical weathering. It is
the breaking down of rocks without changing their composition.
 It is important to landscape modification in two ways. First, the resulting smaller clasts
are more easily eroded and transported than the initial larger ones. Second, the breakup of
a large rock into smaller rocks encourages additional weathering because it increases the
rock surface area exposed to weathering processes.

TYPES OR PROCESSES OF PHYSICAL WEATHERING


Unloading- Unloading occurs when overlying material, such as soil or another rock stratum, is
removed (most commonly through erosion) and the confining pressure on the underlying rock is
decreased. In response, the rock generally fractures into sheets that 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 that lie parallel to the surface topography.

Thermal Expansion and Contraction- It is about the effects of heating and cooling on a rock.
Over the course of a day, week, or year, a rock is heated and cooled repeatedly if exposed to the
elements. For example, consider a rock outcrop in a moderate climate. During the day, this rock
is exposed to sunlight, gradually heating it and causing it to expand. As the temperature drops
overnight, the rock begins to cool and contract. The repeated heating and cooling places stress on
the rock, which can cause it to fracture and break.

Freeze-Thaw Weathering – Freeze-thaw weathering, or 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-crystal growth is also referred to as salt weathering or haloclasty. It
occurs when saline solutions enter the rock pores or cracks and evaporate, leaving behind salt
crystals. The accumulated salt crystals are heated up when environmental temperatures are high,
and they expand, thus releasing pressure on the rock, causing the rock to disintegrate.
 These salts can expand three-fold or even more, and this phenomenon mainly takes place
in drier and higher-temperature areas. A prime example of salt-crystal growth is
witnessed in the honeycombed stones in the sea wall.
Hydration- Hydration weathering is a type of chemical weathering in which minerals undergo
changes in their chemical bonds when they come into contact with water. An example of this is
the reaction between mineral anhydrite and groundwater. Additionally, certain minerals such as
sodium can dissolve in water to create a saltwater solution.
This type of weathering can happen naturally in the environment or can be induced by human
activities. The cause of hydration is the large amounts of water that can penetrate rock surfaces
and erode them over time. Rainfall, floods, and other forms are examples that can contribute to
hydration weathering over a period of time.

CHEMICAL WEATHERING- There are changes in the composition of rock due to chemical
reactions.

TYPES OF CHEMICAL WEATHERING


Oxidation- Occurs when oxygen combines with other substances and creates compounds called
oxides. When free ions of oxygen join with iron (or magnesium)-rich minerals to create new
minerals like hematite and limonite. For example, when you leave your bike in the rain, it gets
oxidized or rusted. Free oxygen in rainwater combines with iron to create new minerals. The red
color of rust is because of the presence of iron.

Solution and Carbonation- Solution and carbonation or Dissolution refers to the rocks that are
dissolved by water. It is the process of rocks dissolving when acidic waters react with minerals.

Hydrolysis- Hydrolysis is the chemical transition of one mineral to another. Not only the
chemical composition, but hydrolysis is responsible for altering the size and resistance to
weathering. It is the breaking down of rocks by water to produce clay.

BIOLOGICAL WEATHERING- It is caused by the movements of plants and animals.


 example (trees and plants): plant roots physically wedge or grow into the expand cracks
in rocks causing them to break further.
 example (animals): a budger or moles can burrow (or live) into a crack in a rock making
it bigger and eventually splitting the rock.

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