Weathering and Erosion

 Weathering alters rocks at the earth's

surface and breaks them down over time into

fine-grained particles of sediment and soil.

Erosion is the movement of the particles by

ice, wind, or water.

The particles are then transported by that

agent until they are deposited to form

sedimentary deposits, which can be later
eroded again or transformed into sedimentary
rocks.

Types of Weathering
Mechanical weathering is the process by
which rocks are broken down into smaller
pieces by external conditions, such as the
freezing of water in cracks in the rock.

Chemical weathering when it reacts with

rain, water, and the atmosphere to destroy

chemical and mineralogical bonds and form
new minerals.

Mechanical Weathering: no change in

chemical composition--just
disintegration into smaller pieces

Chemical Weathering: breakdown as a

result of chemical reactions
2+
3CaCO3+CO2+H2O
--->
Ca2+
++
2HCO3CaCO
+CO
+H
O
--->
Ca
2HCO
3
2
2

Mechanical weathering
Physical breakup
pressure release
water: freeze - thaw cycles
crystallization of salt in cracks
thermal expansion and contraction
All this increases the total surface area
exposed to weathering processes.

 spherically weathered boulder forms when

the corners of an angular rock are broken down more
quickly than the flat surfaces , forming rounded shapes.

Differential weathering results when some

rocks resist weathering more than other rocks,
creating uneven rates

Processes of Mechanical
Weathering
Ice. The formation of ice in the myriad of tiny cracks

and joints in a rock's surface slowly pries it apart over

thousands of years .

Frost wedging results when the formation of ice

widens and deepens the cracks, breaking off pieces and

slabs . Frost wedging is most effective in those climates
that have many cycles of freezing and thawing.

Frost heaving is the process by which rocks are lifted

vertically from soil by the formation of ice . Water

freezes first under rock fragments and boulders in the
soil; the repeated freezing and thawing of ice gradually
pushes the rocks to the surface .

Frost Wedging: rock breakdown caused by

expansion of ice in cracks and joints

Frost Heaving
Frost heaving is the
process by which rocks
are lifted vertically from
soil by the formation of
ice
. Water freezes first
under rock fragments
and boulders in the soil;
the repeated freezing
and thawing of ice
gradually pushes the
rocks to the surface .

Shattered rocks are common

in cold environments where
repeated freeze-thaw cycles
gradually pry rocks apart.

 unloading. If a large intrusion is brought to the

surface through tectonic uplift and the erosion of

overlying rocks, the confining pressure above the
intrusion has been released, but the pressure
underneath is still being exerted, forcing the rock to
expand.

, or
Sheet joints, develop that parallel the curved outer
surface of the rock because the outer layers expand
the most, cracks

Sheet joints become surfaces along which curved

pieces of rock break loose, exposing a new surface .

This process is called exfoliation ; large rounded
landforms (usually intrusive rocks) that result from
this process are called exfoliation domes.

Mechanical Weathering

Exfoliation:

Rock breaks apart in layers that are

parallel to the earth's surface; as rock is
uncovered, it expands (due to the lower
confining pressure) resulting in exfoliation.

Weathering

Mechanical Weathering

Sheet Joints
(Exfoliation)
Sheet joints, develop
that parallel the curved
outer surface of the
rock because the outer
layers expand the
most, cracks

Stone Mountain, GA

Half Dome,
Yosemite, CA

Exfoliated Domes, Yosemite

 Other processes. include the

burrowing of animals, plant roots

that grow in surface cracks, and the digestion

of certain minerals, such as metal sulfides, by
bacteria .

Daily temperature changes, especially

in those regions where temperatures can vary
by 30 degrees centigrade, result in the
expansion and contraction of minerals, which
weaken rocks . Extreme

temperature changes, such as those

produced by forest fires, can force rocks to

shatter

Thermal expansion due to the extreme range of temperatures can

shatter rocks in desert environments.
Repeated swelling and shrinking of minerals with different expansion
rates will also shatter rocks.

Biological Weathering
Can be both chemical and
mechanical in nature.
roots split rocks apart
roots produce acids
that dissolve rocks.
tree throw
burrowing animals

Burrowing of Animals

Living Organisms
Lichens that grow on rocks produce

weak acids that chemically weather

rock

Role of Physical Weathering

1) Reduces rock material to smaller
fragments that are easier to
transport

2) Increases the exposed surface area

of rock, making it more vulnerable to
further physical and chemical
weathering

Surface Area and Weathering

Rates of weathering
Joints in a rock are a
pathway for water they
can enhance mechanical
weathering