Weathering.pptVIP

Weathering Bob Len WEATHERING AND SEDIMENTARY ROCKS  Weathering - Process which acts at the earths surface to decompose and breakdown rocks. Erosion - The movement of weathered material from the site of weathering. Primary agent is gravity, but gravity acts in concert with running water. Types of Weathering Mechanical or Physical - the breakdown of rock material into smaller and smaller pieces with no change in the chemical composition of the weathered material. Chemical - the breakdown of rocks by chemical agents. Obviously the chief chemical agent is water which carries dissociated carbonic acid. Mechanical Weathering Expansion and Contraction - the thermal heating and cooling of rocks causing expansion and contraction. Frost Action - Water freezes at night and expands because the solid occupies greater volume. Action wedges the rocks apart. Requires adequate supply of moisture; moisture must be able to enter rock or soil; and temperature must move back and forth over freezing point. Exfoliation - process in which curved plates of rock are stripped from a larger rock mass. Example Half Dome. Exact mechanism uncertain but probably due to unloading. Other types - Cracking of rocks by plant roots and burrowing animals. Chemical Weathering Factors which effect the rate of chemical weathering are: Particle size - Smaller the particle size the greater the surface area and hence the more rapid the weathering Composition Climate See Figure Type and amount of vegetation Chemical Weathering of Rocks Show Figure and explain formation of carbonic acid H2O + CO2