Earth Science

Exogenic Processes (Weathering)

HOW ROCKS UNDERGO WEATHERING

I. Introduce the list of key terms that learners will encounter.

a. Weathering
b. Mechanical weathering
c. Abrasion
d. Frost wedging
e. Chemical weathering
f. Hydrolysis
g. Carbonation
h. Oxidation

II. Processes that lead to the mechanical disintegration of rocks:

a. Frost wedging- when water gets inside the joints, alternate freezing and thawing episodes pry the rock apart.
b. Salt crystal growth- force exerted by salt crystal that formed as water evaporates from pore spaces or cracks
in rocks can cause the rock to fall apart
c. Abrasion – wearing away of rocks by constant collision of loose particles
d. Biological activity – plants and animals (including humans) as agents of mechanical weathering

2. Processes that contribute to chemical weathering.

What they can infer from the reddish coloration seen on the surface of some rocks (Answer: this shows that the
constituent minerals contain iron and that the rock has been subjected to chemical weathering by oxidation).

Major processes of chemical weathering :

a. Dissolution – dissociation of molecules into ions; common example includes dissolution of calcite and salt
b. Oxidation- reaction between minerals and oxygen dissolved in water
c. Hydrolysis- change in the composition of minerals when they react with water

1) Physical weathering (or mechanical weathering) disintegrates rocks, breaking them into smaller pieces.
Chemical weathering decomposes rocks through chemical reactions that change the original rock-forming minerals.
Weathering occurs as a response to the low pressure, low temperature, and water and oxygenrich nature of the Earth’s
surface. Point out that physical weathering and chemical weathering almost always occur together in nature and
reinforce each other. An example scenario would be, when a rock is physically broken down into smaller pieces, the
amount of surface area exposed to weathering agents increases. Hence, chemical weathering is enhanced. As an effect
of the chemical weathering, the rock weakens, thus becoming more susceptible to physical weathering.

3. Factors that affect the type, extent, and rate at which weathering takes place:

a. Climate – areas that are cold and dry tend to have slow rates of chemical weathering and weathering is mostly
physical; chemical weathering is most active in areas with high temperature and rainfall.
b. Rock type – the minerals that constitute rocks have different susceptibilities to weathering. The susceptibility of
minerals (from high to low) roughly follows the inverse of the order of crystallization of minerals in the Bowen’s reaction
series. Thus, olivine which crystallizes first is the least resistant whereas; quartz which crystallizes last is the most
resistant.
c. Rock structure- rate of weathering is affected by the presence of joints, folds, faults, bedding planes through which
agents of weathering enter a rock mass. Highlyjointed/fractured rocks disintegrate faster than a solid mass of rock of the
same dimension
d. Topography- physical weathering occurs more quickly on a steep slope than on a gentle one. On a gentle slope, water
may stay longer in contact with the rocks, hence chemical weathering is enhanced.
e. Time- length of exposure to agents of weather determines the degree of weathering of a rock

2) the amount of surface area exposed to weathering agents increases. Hence, chemical weathering is enhanced. As
an effect of the chemical weathering, the rock weakens, thus becoming more susceptible to physical weathering.

Processes on how factors above affect weathering: