ENGINEERING GEOLOGY

ASSIGNMENT NO 4

SUBMITTED BY:

MUHAMMAD SAYYAM ASIF

CMS 290289
NS 3992
CED 93(B)

SUBMITTED TO:

LEC ZULFIQAR ALI KHAN

DATE: 25-06-2020
 INFLUENCE OF WEATHERING ON ROCKS
Weathering is the breaking down of rocks, soils, and minerals as well as wood and
artificial materials through contact with the Earth's atmosphere, water, and biological
organisms. Two important classifications of weathering processes exist – physical
and chemical weathering; each sometimes involves a biological component

Effects of Physical weathering

Physical weathering is the decomposition of mineral and rock material by either
internal or external mechanical means. Frequently, the physical weathering exposes
rocks and minerals to other forces, such as chemical weathering processes like
oxidation and dissolution. The effects of physical weathering may differ in detail and
process slightly, but they all lead to the eventual disintegration of the material on
which they act.

Cracking and Fissuring

The most common effect of physical weathering is the formation of cracks, fissures
and joints. Joints are uniform, patterned fractures that exhibit no deviation across the
fissure. When cracks and fissures occur in the surface of a rock, the weathering and
erosion process speeds up due to the previously protected inner structure of the rock
now being exposed to the elements. This causes the rock to further crack and
degrades over time.

Another effect of the cracking of physically weathered rock is the introduction of plant
and small animal life into the fissures of the rock. Plant roots and animal activity within
physically weathered rock crevices can further undermine the structural integrity of an
already weakening rock.
Crystal Growth
Water that filters through cracks and pore spaces in physically weathered rock
sometimes contains ions, which are atoms or molecules with a positive or negative
electrical charge. These ions can cause crystals to form inside of the cracks and
fissures of physically weathered rock. As the crystals expand, they can force the
cracks in which they're growing to become larger, further breaking apart the
weathered rock.

Frost Wedging
As with crystal formation, frost wedging exerts a destructive force on the structural
integrity of a rock through outward expansion. When water enters cracks and fissures
caused by physical weathering, and then freezes, the volume of the water increases.
The increase in volume causes the freezing water to further split open existing cracks
and fissures in the rock. Frost wedging is particularly common in the numerous freeze-
and-thaw cycles of higher altitudes.
  Effects of chemical weathering
 Chemical weathering is the process by which rocks are decomposed, dissolved or
loosened by chemical processes to form residual materials. Chemical reactions break
down the bonds holding the rocks together, causing them to fall apart into smaller and
smaller pieces. Weathering causes erosion, the process of these rock particles being
carried away and deposited in other level places.

Chemical weathering changes the molecular structure of rocks and soil. For instance,

carbon dioxide from the air or soil sometimes combines with water in a process
called carbonation. This produces a weak acid, called carbonic acid that
can dissolve rock. Carbonic acid is especially effective at dissolving limestone. When
carbonic acid seeps through limestone underground, it can open up huge cracks or
hollow out vast networks of caves. 
 
Another type of chemical weathering works on rocks that contain iron. These rocks turn
to rust in a process called oxidation. Rust is a compound created by the interaction of
oxygen and iron in the presence of water. As rust expands, it weakens rock and helps
break it apart.
 
Hydration is a form of chemical weathering in which the chemical bonds of the mineral
are changed as it interacts with water. One instance of hydration occurs as the
mineral anhydrite reacts with groundwater. The water transforms anhydrite into gypsum,
one of the most common minerals on Earth.
 
Another familiar form of chemical weathering is hydrolysis. In the process of hydrolysis,
a new solution (a mixture of two or more substances) is formed as chemicals in rock
interact with water. In many rocks, for example, sodium minerals interact with water to
form a saltwater solution.
 
Hydration and hydrolysis contribute to flared slopes, another dramatic example of a
landscape formed by weathering and erosion. Flared slopes are concave rock
formations sometimes nicknamed “wave rocks.” Their c-shape is largely a result
of subsurface weathering, in which hydration and hydrolysis wear away rocks beneath
the landscape’s surface.
 
Living or once-living organisms can also be agents of chemical weathering.
The decaying remains of plants and some fungi form carbonic acid, which can weaken
and dissolve rock. Some bacteria can weather rock in order to access nutrients such as
magnesium or potassium. Clay minerals, including quartz, are among the most
common byproducts of chemical weathering. Clays make up about 40% of the
chemicals in all sedimentary rocks on Earth.
Chemical weathering of sedimentary rocks is characterized by sequential reaction
between percolating groundwater and rock-forming minerals. Pyrite, a common mineral
contained in sedimentary rocks, is especially important in these sequential reactions.
Pyrite is oxidized by oxygen coming from the ground surface and sulfuric acid is
generated at the base of the oxidized zone. The sulfuric acid, in turn, dissolves rock-
forming materials to make a dissolved zone. If the fluxes of oxygen and water are in the
same direction, sulfuric acid generated at the oxidation front migrates farther and forms
a dissolved zone. If these fluxes are in opposite directions, the oxidized and dissolved
zones are not differentiated. Rocks in the dissolved zone are caused to deteriorate by
the acid leaching and are acidic if buffering minerals, such as calcite and zeolite, are
absent. In the oxidized zone, sandstone is strengthened because of cementation by iron
oxide or hydroxide, while mudstone is weakened because it has greater clay fractions
and larger specific surface areas than sandstone
OTHER EFFECTS

Exfoliation:
Exfoliation, separation of successive thin shells, or spalls, from massive rock such as
granite or basalt; it is common in regions that have moderate rainfall. The thickness of
individual sheet or plate may be from a few millimetres to a few metres. exfoliation
results when rocks formed at depth are exposed at the ground surface; the previous
compressional forces would decrease and thus allow the rock to expand by fracturing
parallel to the surface. Quite often, however, the fractures are not parallel to the ground
surface, and this circumstance is taken as an indication of some other method of
formation. Large daily variations in temperature, especially pronounced in deserts, were
also credited with producing exfoliation

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Rock Abrasion:
Rocks break down into smaller pieces through weathering. Rocks and sediment
grinding against each other wear away surfaces. This type of weathering is
called abrasion, and it happens as wind and water rush over rocks. The rocks
become smoother as rough and jagged edges break off. In this activity, you will
model how abrasion works. Gravity causes abrasion as a rock tumbles down a
slope. Moving water causes abrasion; it moves rocks so that they bump against one
another. Strong winds cause abrasion by blasting sand against rock surfaces.

Attrition:
Attrition is an erosional process. Rocks and pebbles are carried in the flow
of a river. They repeatedly knock into each other, which causes the rocks to
erode or to break. As the rocks continue to collide, they erode more and
more, getting smaller and smaller until they are only sediments