WEATHERING AGENTS OF WEATHERING

2nd Quarter | S.Y. 2022-2023

1) Water
EARTH’S PROCESSES ➔ Either in liquid or solid form, it is one of
1) Endogenic the agents of mechanical weathering.
● Slow movements ➔ In liquid form: seeped into cracks and
● Sudden movements crevices of rocks and when the
temperature dropped, it freezes and
definitely will expand in the form of ice.
2) Exogenic The ice then works as a wedge which
● Weathering slowly widens the cracks and splits the
● Deposition rock. When the ice melts, the liquid
● Erosion water performs the act of erosion by
● Mass Wasting carrying away the tiny rock fragments
lost in the split.
➔ Example:
WHAT IS ENDOGENIC?
❖ Frost wedging: water freezes,
➔ These are processes happening expands, then breaks the rocks.
inside the Earth.
➔ Processes that shape the land
forces coming from within the Earth
(folding, faulting, vulcanicity).

WHAT IS EXOGENIC?
➔ These are processes working on the
surface of the Earth.
➔ Processes that are responsible for
most of the changes we see in the
(regentsprep.org/.../units/weathering/ frostwedging.gif)
surface of the Earth. (i.e. How rivers
cut into big valleys/canyons, sand
2) Salt
dunes from wind action, etc.
➔ In the process of haloclasty, salts serve
as an agent of weathering.
WEATHERING ➔ Saltwater sometimes gets into the
cracks and pores of the rock.
➔ It is the process of breaking down ➔ When saltwater evaporates, salt
rocks at the Earth’s surface, by the crystals are left behind and grow in the
action of water, ice, acids, salts, cracks and pores which causes
plants, animals, gravity, and pressure on the rocks and slowly
changing temperatures. breaks it apart.

THREE TYPES OF WEATHERING 3) Temperature

1. Physical ➔ Temperature changes can also
2. Chemical contribute to weathering through the
3. Biological process called thermal stress.
➔ Rocks tend to expand with heat and
contract with low temperature.

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 ➔ As this happens repeatedly, the
structure of the rocks weakens and
over time crumbles.
➔ Charles’ law
4) Plants
➔ Its contribution takes place when the
seed of a tree being spread in the
environment sprouts in soil that has
been collected in a cracked rock.
➔ As the roots grow, they widen the
cracks, eventually breaking the rock
into pieces.
➔ Over time, trees can break apart even
large rocks. Even small plants, such as
mosses, can enlarge tiny cracks as
they grow.
➔ Example:
❖ Root action
(https://thegeoroom.co.zw/geomorphology/physical-weathering-process/)
5) Animals
➔ Animals that tunnel underground, such
as moles and prairie dogs, also work to
break apart rock and soil.
➔ Other animals dig and trample rock
aboveground, causing rock to slowly
crumble.
Other Agents of Weathering
6) Gravity 7) Acids 8) Ice
TYPES OF WEATHERING
● Three types are: Physical Weathering,
Chemical Weathering, and Biological
Weathering.
PHYSICAL WEATHERING
➔ Caused by the effects of changing
temperatures on rocks, causing the
rock to break apart.
➔ Sometimes assisted by water.
➔ Happens in places where there is little
soil and few plants grow, such as in
mountain regions and hot deserts.
➔ Occurs either through repeated melting
and freezing water (mountains &
tundra) or through expansion and
contraction of the surface layer of rocks
that are baked by the sun (hot deserts).
Main Types of Physical Weathering
1. Abrasion
➔ Occurs when the rock's surface is
frequently exposed to water, wind, and
gravity.
2. Freeze-Thaw
➔ Occurs when water continually seeps
into cracks, freezes, and expands,
eventually breaking the rocks apart.
➔ It occurs in mountainous regions such
as the Alps or Snowdonia.
3. Exfoliation
➔ It can happen as cracks develop
parallel to the land surface as a
consequence of the reduction in
pressure during uplift and erosion.
➔ It occurs typically in upland areas
where there are exposures of uniform
coarsely crystalline igneous rocks.
CHEMICAL WEATHERING
➔ Caused by rainwater reacting with the
mineral grains in rocks to form new
minerals (clays) and soluble salts.
➔ These reactions occur particularly
when the water is slightly acidic.
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➔ These chemical processes need water ➔ Physical Means:
and occur more rapidly at higher ○ Digging
temperatures, so warm, damp climates ○ Holes
are best. ○ Plants are growing
➔ Agents of chemical weathering:
❖ Salts ➔ Chemical Means:
❖ Acids ○ Acids and salts (coming from
❖ Elements plants and animals)

Main Types of Chemical Weathering

1. Carbonation
➔ Carbon dioxide in the air dissolves in
rainwater and becomes weakly acidic.
This weak “carbonic acid” can dissolve
limestone as it seeps into cracks and
cavities.
➔ Over many years, the solution of the
rock can form a spectacular cave
system.

2. Hydrolysis
➔ The breakdown of rock by acidic water
to produce clay and soluble salts.
➔ Takes place when acid rain reacts with
rock forming minerals such as feldspar
to produce clay and salts that are
removed from the solution.

3. Hydration
➔ Water reacts chemically with the rocks,
modifying its chemical structure.
❖ Example: H2O (water) is added
to CaSO4 (calcium sulfate) to
create CaSO4+2H2O (calcium
sulfate dihydrate). It changes
from anhydrite to gypsum.

4. Oxidation
➔ The breakdown of rock by oxygen and
water, often giving iron-rich rocks a
rusty-colored weathered surface.

BIOLOGICAL WEATHERING
➔ Occurs when rocks are weakened by
different biological agents like plants
and animals.
➔ When plant roots grow through rocks, it
creates fractures and cracks that result
to rock breakage.