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Lecture 4 Weathering

Weathering is the process of disintegration and decomposition of rocks without material movement, influenced by rock structure, climate, vegetation, and time. It can be categorized into mechanical (physical) and chemical weathering, with various subtypes such as frost shattering, salt crystallization, and oxidation. Mechanical weathering involves physical processes while chemical weathering involves chemical reactions that alter the rock's composition.

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13 views20 pages

Lecture 4 Weathering

Weathering is the process of disintegration and decomposition of rocks without material movement, influenced by rock structure, climate, vegetation, and time. It can be categorized into mechanical (physical) and chemical weathering, with various subtypes such as frost shattering, salt crystallization, and oxidation. Mechanical weathering involves physical processes while chemical weathering involves chemical reactions that alter the rock's composition.

Uploaded by

mkhizeclayton
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Weathering

Weathering
• Disintegration and decomposition
of rock in situ or the breaking
down of rocks.
• NO movement of material
• First stage in the denudation
process (wearing down of slopes) –
Depends upon:
 Rock structure and mineral
composition
 Climate [precipitation and
temperature] and vegetation
 Time

Photo: S James
Two main types of weathering
Mechanical (Physical) Chemical
• Disintegration of rock into smaller • Decomposition of rock from a
fragments by mechanical processes. chemical change.
• No chemical change in rock’s • Involves a chemical reaction between
composition rock minerals, water and atmospheric
• Broken fragments retain original gases.
chemical composition • Also organic acids from decaying
• Common in dry areas, cold areas, plant/animal matter.
and high mountainous areas. • Occurs in warmer, more moist
• Produce sands. climates associated with vegetation
cover.
Types of Mechanical Weathering

• Frost shattering
• Salt crystallisation
• Dilatation
• Thermal expansion
• Biological

http://imgur.com/4nsBBpq
Frost Shattering
• Rocks with cracks/crevices/joints
• Limited vegetation
• Temperatures fluctuate around
0°C
• Daytime – water enters joints
• Night – water freezes
• Ice 9% more volume than water
• Freeze –thaw widens joints
• Diurnal repetition = shattering
• Effects: http://www.rossway.net/frostsh.htm

– Steep slopes - Block disintegration


– Gentle slopes – Block fields

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_
XnCTcjNpuc http://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-51597-555095.html
• Block disintegration • Block fields
Salt crystallisation
• Haloclasty – heating & cooling and
wetting & drying of saline water in rock
cracks
• Evaporation leaves crystals behind
• As crystals grow, cause stress =
disintegration
• Crystals becomes larger causing the
rock to disintegrate
• Most effective crystals:
– sodium sulfate,
– magnesium sulfate, and
– calcium chloride.

http://www.tafoni.com/Lithology.html
• Honeycomb weathering
Pressure release - Dilatation
• Sub-terranean rocks
exposed to the
atmosphere
• Substantial release of
pressure
• Weakens rock
• Sheeting: Cracks
develop parallel to the
surface and outer
layer peels away
• Aid in formation of:
– Exfoliation domes
– Tors
Thermal expansion
• Repeated daily heating and cooling of rock;
• Heat causes expansion; cooling causes contraction.
• Different minerals expand and contract at different rates
causing stresses along mineral boundaries
• Causes exfoliation, granular disintegration in rocks
composed of several minerals such as granite or block
integration in homogenous rocks.
Biological

• Tree roots may grow


in bedding planes or
joints
• Growth of root causes
joints to expand
• Burrowing animals
play a role in
excavation of
weathered rock
Photo: Nigel Chadwick
Chemical weathering:

Chemical reactions include:


– Oxidation
– Hydrolysis
– Carbonation
– Hydration
– Solution
– Organic weathering
– Acid rain
Oxidation
• Exposure of rocks to oxygen in the
atmosphere/water.
• Oxygen combines with iron-
bearing silicate minerals
causing "rusting"
• Easiest to recognise: Iron,
ferrous state, changed by
adding oxygen into ferric
state.
• Iron oxides are red, orange, or
brown in colour
• Ferrous oxide + oxygen = ferric
oxide
Hydration
• Rock containing salt absorb
water causing them to
swell and breakdown
• Active following wet and
dry weather
• Important in forming clay
• Anhydrite + water =
gypsum
Hydrolysis
• Hydrogen in water
reacts with minerals in
rocks
• Breakdown of feldspar
(in igneous rocks) into
clay deposits called
kaolinite (china clay).
Carbonation
• Rainwater contains CO2 in solution which produces
carbonic acid.
• This reacts with rocks that consist of calcium
carbonate, such as limestone to form calcium
bicarbonate.
• Limestone dissolves and removed in solution by
running water.
Organic weathering
• Humic acid derived from
decomposition of
vegetation contains
important elements such
as calcium, magnesium
and iron- released
through a process called
chelation.
• Check linchen
Acid rain

• Human economic activities


such as power generation
and transport release carbon
dioxide, Sulphur dioxide and
nitrogen dioxide into the air.
• These gases will combine
with rainwater to form acid
rain
• Acid rain attacks limestone
and sandstone and result in
crumbling e.g. crumbling of
buildings and statues
Rates of mechanical and chemical weathering
(Refer to sources )
Relationship between climate and weathering
after Peltier
References
• http://www.brighthubeducation.com/science-h
omework-help/91437-rock-weathering/
• http://intranet.qc.edu.hk/it-school/homepage/g
eog/new/page_01.htm
• http://teach.albion.edu/jjn10/physical-weatheri
ng/
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Block
field_on_Y_Fronllwyd_-_geograph.org.uk_-_22
3805.jpg
• https://www.google.co.za/search?q=image+sho
wing+oxidation+of+rocks&rlz=1C2KMZB_enZA5
74ZA574&biw=1366&bih=629&tbm=isch&imgil

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