W E A T H E

R I N G

W G V E T A
O R H I N M
W A T E R

W G V E T A
O R H I N M
WEATHERING
 EARTH’S PROCESSES
Slow movements
Endogenic
Sudden movements
Earth Weathering
Processes
Deposition
Exogenic
Erosion

Mass wasting
 These are processes working on the
surface of the earth.
What is Exogenic processes are responsible
for most of the changes we see in the
Exogenic? surface of the earth (ie. How rivers
cut into big valleys/canyons, sand
dunes form from wind action, etc.)
DIFFERENT EXOGENIC PROCESSES

Weathering Erosion

Mass
Deposition
Wasting
What is
WEATHERING?
 What is WEATHERING?
It is the process of breaking down
rocks at the earth’s surface, by the
action of water, ice, acids, salts, plants,
animals, gravity and changing
temperatures.
There are three types of weathering:
physical weathering, chemical
weathering, and biological weathering.
Agents of
Weathering
 Either in liquid or solid form it is one of the
agents of mechanical weathering. In
liquid form, it seeped into cracks and
WATER crevices of rocks and when the
temperature dropped, it freezes and
definitely will expand in the form of ice.
The ice then works as a wedge which
slowly widens the cracks and splits the
rock. When the ice melts, the liquid water
performs the act of erosion by carrying
away the tiny rock fragments lost in the
split.
In the process of haloclasty, salts served as
an agent of weathering. Saltwater
sometimes gets into the cracks and pores SALT
of rock. When it evaporates, salt crystals
are left behind and grow in the cracks
and pores which caused pressure on the
rock and slowly break it apart.
TEMPERATURE
Temperature changes can also contribute to
weathering through the process called thermal
stress. During thermal stress, rock tend to expand
with heat and contract with low temperature. As
this happens repeatedly, the structure of the rock
weakens and over time crumbles.
 PLANTS
Plants also served as agents of weathering. Its
contribution take place when the seed of a tree
being spread in the environment sprout in soil
that has collected in a cracked rock. As the
roots grow, they widen the cracks, eventually
breaking the rock into pieces. Over time, trees
can break apart even large rocks. Even small
plants, such as mosses, can enlarge tiny
cracks as they grow.
 ANIMAL
Animals that tunnel underground,
S
such as moles and prairie dogs,
also work to break apart rock
and soil. Other animals dig and
trample rock aboveground,
causing rock to slowly crumble.
 Types of
Weathering
01 PHYSICAL WEATHERING
It is caused by the effects of changing temperatures on rocks,
causing the rock to break apart. The process is sometimes
assisted by water. It happens especially in places where there is
little soil and few plants grow, such as in mountain regions and
hot deserts. It occurs either through repeated melting and
freezing of water (mountains and tundra) or through expansion
and contraction of the surface layer of rocks that are baked by
the sun (hot deserts).
 Main Types of Physical Weathering

ABRASION
FREEZE-THAW
EXFOLIATION
 It occurs when rocks surface is
Abrasion frequently exposed to water, wind
and gravity.
 Freeze-thaw
It occurs when water continually seeps into cracks, freezes and
expands, eventually breaking the rock apart. It occurs in mountainous regions
like the Alps or Snowdonia.
 Freeze-thaw
It occurs through the following process:
Rainwater or snow- melt -> collects in cracks in the
rocks→ at night the temperature drops and the water
freezes and expands→ the increases in volume of the ice
exerts pressure on the cracks in the rock, causing them to
split further open→ during the day the ice melts and the
water seeps deeper into the cracks → at night, the water
freezes again.
 It can happen as cracks develop
Exfoliation parallel to the land surface as a
consequence of the reduction in
pressure during uplift and erosion.
It occurs typically in upland areas
where there are exposures of
uniform coarsely crystalline
igneous rocks.
 Exfoliation
The following are the process of exfoliation.
The rock mass at depth is under high pressure from underlying rocks. It tends to be
uniform and lack fractures. → As progressive erosion occurs, the rock mass is
subjected to progressively lower pressure of overlying rocks which leads to tension in
directions at right angles to the land surface → this tension is relieved by formation of
cracks which follow the land surface. They are relatively flat on plateaus but can be
steep on the flanks of mountains which are called exfoliation domes → once the crack
is developed; water enters and causes chemical weathering leading to the formation of
new low- density minerals. This enhances the cracks and encourages slabs of rock to
detach from the surface.
02 CHEMICAL WEATHERING
Chemical weathering is caused by rainwater
reacting with the mineral grains in rocks to form
new minerals (clays) and soluble salts. These
reactions occur particularly when the water is
slightly acidic. These chemical processes need
water, and occur more rapidly at higher
temperature, so warm, damp climates are best.
Chemical weathering (especially hydrolysis and
oxidation) is the first stage in the production of
soils.
 CARBONATION HYDROLYSIS

Carbon dioxide in the air – The breakdown of rock by acidic water

dissolves in rainwater and to produce clay and soluble salts.
becomes weakly acidic. This Hydrolysis takes place when acid rain
reacts with rock forming minerals such as
weak “carbonic acid” can feldspar to produce clay and salts that are
dissolve limestone as it seeps removed in solution. The only common
into cracks and cavities. Over rock-forming mineral that is not affected
many years, solution of the rock is quartz, which is a chemically resistant
can form spectacular cave mineral. Therefore, quartz and clay are
the two of the most common minerals in
systems. sedimentary rocks.
 HYDRATION OXIDATION

A type of chemical weathering where The breakdown of rock by oxygen

water reacts chemically with the rocks,
modifying its chemical structure.
and water, often giving iron- rich
Example: H2O (water) is added to rocks a rusty-colored weathered
Caso4 (calcium sulfate) to create surface.
caso4 + 2H2O (calcium sulfate
dihydrate). It
Changes from anhydrite to gypsum.
03 BIOLOGICAL
WEATHERING
Biological weathering of rocks occurs
when rocks are weakened by different
biological agents like plants and
animals. When plant roots grow through
rocks, it creates fracture and cracks that
result eventually to rock breakage.
BIOLOGICAL WEATHERING CLASSIFICATION

Burrowing animals like shrews,

moles and earthworms create holes on the ground
by excavation and move the
rock fragments to the surface. These fragments
become more exposed to other
Biological Weathering by Physical Means.
environmental factors that can further enhance their
weathering. Furthermore,
humans also indirectly contribute to biological
weathering by different activities
that cause rocks to break.

Some plants and animals also

produced acidic substances that react with the rock
Biological Weathering by Chemical Compounds.
and cause its slow
disintegration.