Warm up

What are the two main

types of weathering?
Unit 4.1 Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Frost Wedging- alternate freezing &
thawing of water
Exfoliation- peeling
away of large sheets
of loosened material
Abrasion- when rocks
rub against each other
Chemical Weathering
Oxidation- when oxygen unites chemically with a
mineral. Ex. Rust (iron oxide)
Hydration- when water unites chemically
with minerals.
 Mechanical
Weathering
Pressure/stress release
Abrasion by wind, water, or
human activity
Gravity (mass wasting)
Chemical
weathering
Organic acid (moss, lichen,
or pine needles)
Hydrolysis (reacting with
water)
Acid precipitation

Exfoliation Hydration (dissolving in

water)

Ice wedging Oxidation (metal and oxygen)

Biological (animal burrows,

roots)
Rates of Weathering
If particle size goes down then, weathering
rate goes up. (surface area INCREASES)
Weathering eats away sharp edges first
(makes things round)
Climate- the average
weather of a location over time
Differential Weathering
Different minerals
weather at different
rates.
Hard rocks weather
slowly
Soft rocks weather
quickly
Quartz most weather
Resistant mineral