Weathering

EAS 21700
SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF THE EARTH
Angelo Lampousis, Ph.D.
 Outline
• Mechanical (Physical) Weathering
• Chemical Weathering
• Classification of Sedimentary Rocks
• Sedimentary Rocks Textures Review
• Systems Erosional Processes
• Mass Wasting (Gravity)
• Running Water
• Groundwater
• Glaciers and Glaciation
• Deserts and Winds
• Shorelines
• The Carbon Cycle and Sedimentary Rocks
 Outline
• Mechanical (Physical) Weathering
• Chemical Weathering
• Classification of Sedimentary Rocks
• Sedimentary Rocks Textures Review
• Systems Erosional Processes
• Mass Wasting (Gravity)
• Running Water
• Groundwater
• Glaciers and Glaciation
• Deserts and Winds
• Shorelines
• The Carbon Cycle and Sedimentary Rocks
Weathering involves the physical breakdown
and chemical alteration of rock at or near
Earth’s surface

Two types:
• Mechanical weathering - physical forces
breaking rocks into smaller pieces
• Chemical weathering - chemical
transformation of rock into new compounds
Turning Sediments into Sedimentary Rock

Lithification - unconsolidated sediments are

transformed into sedimentary rocks

• Compaction—as sediments are buried,

the weight of the overlying material
compresses the deeper sediments

• Cementation—involves the
crystallization of minerals among the
individual sediment grains
Saturation Reduces Friction
Turning Sediments into Sedimentary Rock

Diagenesis - chemical, physical, and

biological changes that take place after
sediments are deposited and buried

– Occurs within the upper few kilometers of

Earth’s crust

– Example: Recrystallization of more stable

minerals from less stable ones (example:
aragonite to calcite)
 Mechanical Weathering
• Types of Mechanical Weathering
– Frost wedging
– Salt crystal growth
– Sheeting/Unloading
– Biological activity
Mechanical Weathering
Increases Surface Area
Talus Slopes
Ice Breaks Rock
Unloading Leads to Sheeting
Unloading Leads to Sheeting
Plants Can Break Rock
 Chemical Weathering
• The Most Important Agent Is Water
– Responsible for transport of ions and molecules
involved in chemical processes

• Types of Chemical Weathering

– Dissolution
– Oxidation
– Hydrolysis
– Spheroidal weathering
 Formation of Calcium Bicarbonate

H 2O + CO2 = H2CO3
rain water + carbon dioxide = carbonic acid in water

CaCO3 + H2CO3 = Ca+2 + 2HCO3-1

Calcite carbonic Calcium ions Bicarbonate

(Calcium acid dissolved ions
Carbonate) in groundwater dissolved in
groundwater
Acidic Waters Create Caves
Iron Oxides Add Color
The Formation of Rounded Boulders
 Rates of Weathering
The rate of weathering is influenced by rock
type (composition) and climate
• Different minerals weather at different rates
• Warm, moist climates enhance (and cold, dry
climates inhibit) chemical weathering
• Variations in local climate and the
composition of the rock formation will
produce uneven weathering of the rock called
differential weathering
 Outline
• Mechanical (Physical) Weathering
• Chemical Weathering
• Classification of Sedimentary Rocks
• Sedimentary Rocks Textures Review
• Systems Erosional Processes
• Mass Wasting (Gravity)
• Running Water
• Groundwater
• Glaciers and Glaciation
• Deserts and Winds
• Shorelines
• The Carbon Cycle and Sedimentary Rocks
 Classification of Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary rocks are classified into two major

groups

• Detrital: Clastic texture, composed of discrete

fragments cemented together

• Chemical/Organic: Nonclastic or crystalline

texture, where the minerals form patterns of
interlocked crystals
Identification of Sedimentary Rocks
 Detrital Sedimentary Rocks

• Detrital sedimentary rocks form from

sediments that have been weathered and
transported
– The chief constituents of detrital rocks include clay
minerals, quartz, feldspars, and micas
– Particle size is used to distinguish among the various
rock types
Particle Size
Categories
Conglomerate and Breccia
Shale
 Detrital Sedimentary Rocks
Sandstone
– Sand-sized particles
– Forms in a variety of
environments
– Second-most abundant
sedimentary rock
– Quartz is the most abundant
mineral
• Quartz sandstone is predominately
composed of quartz
• Arkose sandstone contains
appreciable quantities of feldspar
• Graywacke contains rock fragments
and matrix, in addition to quartz and Quartz Sandstone
sandstone
Chemical sedimentary rocks form from
precipitated material that was once in solution

Precipitation of material occurs by:

• Inorganic processes, such as evaporation

• Organic processes from water-dwelling

organisms form biochemical sedimentary rocks
 Chemical Sedimentary Rocks

Limestone
• Most abundant chemical
sedimentary rock
• Mainly composed of the
mineral calcite
• Can form from inorganic
and biochemical origins
Oolitic
Limestone
Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
• Dolostone
– Similar to limestone, but
contains magnesium
– Origin of dolostone is
unclear
• created when magnesium-rich
waters circulate through
limestone

• Chert
– Composed of
microcrystalline quartz
– Forms when dissolved silica
precipitates
Chert
Chemical Sedimentary Rocks

Salt Flats
Stages of Coal Formation
– Accumulation of plant remains
– Formation of peat

– Formation of lignite and

bituminous coal

– Formation of anthracite coal

 Outline

• Mechanical (Physical) Weathering

• Chemical Weathering
• Classification of Sedimentary Rocks
• Sedimentary Rocks Textures Review
• Systems Erosional Processes
• Mass Wasting (Gravity)
• Running Water
• Groundwater
• Glaciers and Glaciation
• Deserts and Winds
• Shorelines
• The Carbon Cycle and Sedimentary Rocks
Beaches
The White Chalk Cliffs
Two Significant End Moraines in the Northeast
 Crustal
Subsidence
and
Rebound
Permafrost: Permanently frozen ground

– Summers are too short and cool to melt ice

below the shallow surface
– Deeper ground remains below 0o C (32o F)
throughout the year
– Extensive around the Arctic Ocean
– Land use is regulated to prevent the
permafrost from melting
Solifluction Lobes Near the Arctic Circle in Alaska

Solifluction:
downslope
movement of
waterlogged soils
• Promoted by a
dense clay
hardpan or
impermeable
bedrock layer
• Common in
regions underlain
by permafrost
When Permafrost Thaws
 The Work of Waves

• Wave Erosion
– Breaking waves exert a great force
• Atlantic winter waves average 10,000 kilograms per square
meter
– Abrasion (grinding action of water with rock
fragments) is another erosional force of waves
• Very intense in the surf zone
Abrasion—Sawing and Grinding
 The Work of Waves

• Wave refraction is the bending of a wave

– Causes waves to arrive nearly parallel to the shore
 The Work of Waves

• Sand Movement on the Beach

– Longshore transport
• Waves seldom approach the shore straight on, but rather at
an angle
– Sediment is transported along the beach face in a zigzag
pattern called beach drift
• Longshore currents easily move fine suspended sand along
the coast
The Longshore Transport System
 Transportation of Sediment by Wind

Differs from that of running water in two ways:

1. Wind is less capable of picking up and transporting

coarse materials

2. Wind is not confined to channels and can spread

sediment over large areas
 Transportation of Sediment by Wind

• Bed Load
– The bed load is carried by wind close to the surface
• Consists mostly of sand grains
• Sand moves across the surface in a process called
saltation (by bumping and skipping)

– Height of the bed load rarely exceeds one meter

above the surface
Transporting Sand
 Transportation of Sediment by Wind

• Suspended Load
– The suspended load is carried high into the
atmosphere
• Consists mostly of silt-sized particles
– Surface area must be high compared to weight
• Hard to move fine particles unless they have been
disturbed on the surface
– Example: a clay road with and without a car driving
over it
• The suspended load can be transported far distances
– Dust from the Sahara can reach the Caribbean
Wind’s
Suspended
Load
 Wind Erosion

Compared with glaciers and running water,

wind is an insignificant erosional agent

• More effective in arid regions

• Dryness and scant vegetation are important

for wind to be effective at eroding

• Example: Dust Bowl

 Outline

• Mechanical (Physical) Weathering

• Chemical Weathering
• Classification of Sedimentary Rocks
• Sedimentary Rocks Textures Review
• Systems Erosional Processes
• Mass Wasting (Gravity)
• Running Water
• Groundwater
• Glaciers and Glaciation
• Deserts and Winds
• Shorelines
• The Carbon Cycle and Sedimentary Rocks
 The Carbon Cycle and Sedimentary Rocks

CO2 is one of the most active parts of the

carbon cycle
– Plants absorb CO2 through photosynthesis
– When plants die, some of the CO2 is deposited in the
sediments
• Over geologic time, considerable amounts of plant biomass
is converted into fossil fuels
• When fossil fuels are burned, that CO2 is released back into
the atmosphere
The Carbon Cycle and Sedimentary Rocks

We will return to
the Carbon Cycle
near the end of the semester