EFFECT

 OF  
WEATHERING  TO  
LANDSCAPE  IN  
DIFFERENT  ROCK  
TYPE  
v Weathering   is   the   mechanical   &   chemical    
breakdown   of   rocks   exposed   at   earth’s  
surface  into  smaller  par:cle.  
v  Under  of  influence  of  weathering,  the  
strength,  density  and  volumetric  stability  
of  the  rock  will  be  reduce.  
v  Simultaneously,  deformability,  porosity  
and  weather  ability  of  rock  are  increased.  
TYPES OF WEATHERING PROCESS
v     Mechanical  /  physical  process  
physical forces break earth materials into
smaller pieces that retain the
composition of the parent material  

v       Chemical  process  

involved a chemical transformation of
rock into one or more new compound  
 Stress  to  :  
 
1)  Granite  
 
2)  Limestone  
 
3)  Shale/  Sandstone  
 1) GRANITE
Ø  Mineral  composi:on:  quartz,  feldspar,  hornblende  
Ø  Presence  of  feldspar,  which  is  less  resistant  enables  it  to  
be  weathered  easily  
O Weathering    in  granite  :  
    Physical  disintegrate  
i.  Quartz                                                                              Sand  
hydrolisis  
ii.  Feldspar                                                                            Clay  (light  colour)  
2  KAlSI3O8  +2  H2CO3+H2O  =  Al2Si2O5[OH]4  +  4  SiO2  +  2  K⁺  +  2  HCO3  
iii.  Hornblend                oxida:on  
                                                 Clay  (reddish  brown  colour)  
                                 4Fe
             + 3O   2     2Fe2O3        
   
 Formation  of  boulder  
§  Weathered rock
§  Weakness plane : joint (vertical and horizontal)
§  Vertical joint allowing weathering agent to
penetrate into the rock and decomposed rock
become soil
§  The remaining (fresher) rock become boulder

ü  Note : boulder have high strength to the

surrounding material
 2) LIMESTONE
v   Weathering  agent  :  water  (  rainfall)  
v  Dissolu:on  is  ionic  bond  between  ions  
are  broken  and  then  separated  ions  are  
carried  away  by  water.  
       Dissolu:on  
v   CaCO3  +  H2CO3                                      Ca2⁺+  2HCO3⁻²    
FORMATION OF CARSTIC
AND CAVITY
Cavity    
•  loss  of  mineral  due  to  dissolu:on  
•  hole  occurred  
•  normally  occurred  in  weathered  
rock  
 
EXAMPLE  FORMATION  
OF  CARSTIC  
Cavity  in  real  situation  
 Issue  on  site    
O Case  Study  –  Kuala  Lumpur    
O Subsurface  bedrock  profile  formed  very  
irregular  surfaces,  forming  a  cars:c  
topography  due  to  chemical  weathering  
(dissolu:on  ).  
 Cont.  
Pile  founda:on  –  problem  :  
i.  Due  to  the  presence  of  irregular  bedrock  
surfaces,  cavity  and  cars:c  forma:on.  
ii.  Effect    -­‐  uneven  length  of  pile  (unbalance)  
                                   -­‐  pile  suddenly  drop  
i.  To  solve  :  
-­‐  cavity  –  pumping  ar:ficial  rock  (  grou:ng  of      
   concrete)  
           -­‐  ground  water  –  divert  the  flow  of  ground  
             water  
 3)  SANDSTONE/  SHALE  
O Sedimentary   rock   consist   more   than   one   type   of  
material,   structurally   affected   by   tectonic   ac:vity,  
various  weathering  grade  depending  on  the  rock  type  
O Inhomogeneity   of   weathering   grades   occurred   in        
sedimentary   rocks   due   to   different   in   mineral  
arrangement  
 
SHALE
 Shale  
O Shale   is   much   less   stable   (soe   &   fine-­‐grained;    
contains   lots   of   clay,   so   can   absorb/expel   large  
amounts  of  water)  compared  than  sandstone  so  easy  
to      erode  away  by  water  or  air.  
O Sandstone   is   stable   (due   to   enriched   in   mineral  
quartz)   because   Quartz   in   sandstone   more   resistant  
to  chemical  weathering  
O Shale,   which   is   inter-­‐bedded   with   sandstone,   would  
have  lower  in  strength  when  compared  to  sandstone