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4 Types and Examples of Chemical Weathering

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Types of chemical weathering: reaction with water, reaction with oxygen, reaction with acid, reactions
with organisms

ThoughtCo / Hilary Allison

By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Updated October 29, 2019

There are three types of weathering: mechanical, biological, and chemical. Mechanical weathering is
caused by wind, sand, rain, freezing, thawing, and other natural forces that can physically alter rock.
Biological weathering is caused by the actions of plants and animals as they grow, nest, and burrow.
Chemical weathering occurs when rocks undergo chemical reactions to form new minerals. Water, acids,
and oxygen are just a few of the chemicals that lead to geological change. Over time, chemical
weathering can produce dramatic results.

01

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Chemical Weathering From Water

Stalagmites and stalactites form as dissolved minerals in water deposit on surfaces.

Alija/Getty Images

Water causes both mechanical weathering and chemical weathering. Mechanical weathering occurs
when water drips or flows over rock for prolonged periods; the Grand Canyon, for example, was formed
to a large degree by the mechanical weathering action of the Colorado River.
Chemical weathering occurs when water dissolves minerals in a rock, producing new compounds. This
reaction is called hydrolysis. Hydrolysis occurs, for example, when water comes in contact with granite.
Feldspar crystals inside the granite react chemically, forming clay minerals. The clay weakens the rock,
making it more likely to break.

Water also interacts with calcites in caves, causing them to dissolve. Calcite in dripping water builds up
over many years to create stalagmites and stalactites.

In addition to changing the shapes of rocks, chemical weathering from water changes the composition
of water. For example, weathering over billions of years is a big factor in why the ocean is salty.

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02

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Chemical Weathering From Oxygen

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Philippe Bourseiller/Getty Images

Oxygen is a reactive element. It reacts with rocks through a process called oxidation. One example of
this type of weathering is rust formation, which occurs when oxygen reacts with iron to form iron oxide
(rust). Rust changes the color of the rocks, plus iron oxide is much more fragile than iron, so the
weathered region becomes more susceptible to breakage.

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