 Breakdown of rock by acidic
Weathering
I. DEFINITION:
 Process of breaking down of rocks
into sediments
II. TYPES OF WEATHERING:
1) Mechanical/Physical
 Process wherein rocks r
broken down into smaller
pieces w/o changing chemical
compo
 Due to different temp & water
 Ex. Rocks in highway –
develop cracks due to heat
2) Chemical
 Process wherein rock is
changed into other/diff
substances w/ diff physical &
chemical compo
 Agents: water, strong acids,
O2
 Caused by: rainwater reacting
w/ mineral grains to form new
minerals (clay) & salts
 Water is ESSENTIAL/needed
 Occurs @ high temp, warm,
damp, climates
3) Biological
 Living things contribute to
disintegration
 Ex. Moses & fungi grow on
rocks = producing weak acids
III. TYPES OF MECHANICAL
WEATHERING
 Abrasion
 Rocks surface is exposed to
water, wind, & gravity
 Freeze-thaw
 Water seeps into cracks,
freezes & expands = breaking
rocks apart
 Occurs in Alps/Snowdania
 Exfoliation
 Cracks develop parallel to
land surface due to reduction
in pressure during
uplift&erosion
 Occurs in upland areas
 Layers r exfoliated
IV. TYPES OF CHEMICAL WEATHERING
 Carbonation
 CO2 dissolves in rainwater &
bcomes weakly acid
 Carbonic acid an dissolve
limestone
 Hydrolysis
water
 Takes place when acid rain
reacts w/ rock-forming
minerals (ex. feldspar)
 Hydration
 Water reacts chemically w/
rocks
 Ex. H2O + CaSO4 (Calcium
sulfate) to create CaSO4 +
2H2O (Calcium sulfate
dehydrate)
 Oxidation
 Breakdown by oxygen &
water
V. TYPES OF BIOLOGICAL
WEATHERING
 By Physical Means
 Burrowing animals create
holes by excavation & move
rock to surface
 Humans indirectly contribute
to this
 By Chemical Compounds
 Plants & animals produce
acidic substances, react w/
rock, causing disintegration
VI. AGENTS OF WEATHERING
1) Water
 Seeps into cracks & crevices
 When temp drop, it freezes
2) Salt
 Gets into cracks & pores
 When evaporates, salt crystals
r left behind & grow w/c
causes pressure
3) Temperature
 Thru thermal stress
 Rocks tend to expand w/ heat
& contracts w/ low temp
4) Plants
 Thru roots I AM GROOT
5) Animals
 Animals dig holes/tunnels
underground
 Humans use indirect
weathering by using tools
6) Gravity
 Rocks move, slide, or drop
Erosion
I. DEFINITION:
 Transportation of weathered rocks
  Agents: running water, wind, gravity, atomic nucleus causes release
groundwater, wave currents, glaciers of energy
 3 major isotopes:
II. TYPES OF EROSION: 1. Uranium – 235, 238
1) Water Erosion 2. Potassium – 40
 Water carries sediments to diff 3. Thorium – 232
parts 3) Gravitational Pressure
2) Wind Erosion  More descend in interior,
 Light materials (small rocks & amount of pressure increases
pebbles) r carried by wind  Increase in pressure – increase
3) Glacial Erosion in temp
 Ice moves downhill & plucks  Rocks r good insulators –
out rocks & causes scraping escape of heat from surface is
 Plucking & scraping = less than heat generated from
develop landforms internal
 Glaciers move  High temp – melt material
4) Soil Erosion towards center
 Topsoil removed & leaves soil 4) Dense Core Mats
infertile  Increase in pres, density also
 Caused by wind/flood increases
 Materials in inner: very dense
III. DEPOSITION  Inner core: iron & nickel
 Laying down of sediments to  Densest part: Core
depositional enviro/final desti  PRESSURE FREEZING –
 Can be continental, coastal, /marine so much pressure = form
crystals
NOTE: (for heat source) 5) Friction
 2 main source of heat is no.1 & 2  Collision of rocks
 Sun – major source of heat in crust &  Continuous movement of
atmosphere rocks = produce fiction =
 Isotopes – elements w/ same no. but diff produce heat
mass
NOTE:
 High pressure – hot
Earth’s Internal Heat  Low pressure – cold
 Mountain (saka) – low pressure
Source  Ocean (dive) – high pressure
(both r due to air & mass)
I. BACKGROUND:
 P = f/A – force put on area = pressure
 Earth formed – 4.6 billion yrs ago
 Mantle – undergo convection
 Biotic components remain alive due to
proper regu of internal heat
 Heat increases from crust down to
inner core

II. SOURCES OF HEAT

1) Primordial Heat
 Accretion:
o Formed Earth
o Gasses & dust of
cloud, attracted by
gravi energy
 Due to collision of masses
2) Decay of Radioactive
Elements/Radiogenic Heat
 Earth: thermal engine – bcoz
main source of internal heat is
from decay of naturally
occurring isotopes
 Radioactive decay –
spontaneous breakdown of