Weathering and Soils

Describe the relationship among weathering, erosion, and transportation.

Weathering is the processes that change the physical and chemical character of rock. It can
include breakdown of rock into smaller pieces by mechanical means such as being crushed or
chemical means such as dissolution of the rock into water.
Erosion is considered a transport process. It is the physical removal of the weathered particles of
rock by forces such as wind or water. Transportation takes this a step further and actually moves
the fragment or rock particle to another location by agents such as rivers, waves, glaciers or
wind. These processes are what can transform igneous rock into soil and eventually sedimentary
rock and are a fundamental part of the rock cycle.
Compare and contrast mechanical and chemical weathering.
Mechanical weathering is the physical disintegration of rock into smaller pieces and has no
chemical effect on the rock. Only the size of the rock is changed by outside physical forces
acting upon it. Chemical weathering is the decomposition of the rock from exposure to
atmospheric gases and water. Chemical weathering actually changes the rock into a new
chemical compound.
Explain how climate affects the formation of soils.
Climate determines whether mechanical or chemical weathering will dominate in the formation
of the soil and strongly affects the depth and rate of the weathering. Climate also plays a role in
determining the amounts and types of vegetation and animal life which can also affect soil
formation.
Moist temperate climates tend to produce more fertile soil. The abundant rainfall and acids
produced by decaying organic material cause affective downward leaching while arid climates
tend to produce thinner less fertile soil. The lack of rainfall and organic material in more arid
regions causes water to be drawn up to the surface. As the water evaporates it leaves behind salts
which build up to toxic levels preventing plant growth.