Weathering Flashcards
What’s weathering?
Breaking down of rocks in stiu.
List me 3 types of weathering
1.Mechanical Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Biological Weathering.
What is mechanical weathering?
Weathering that depends on the weather of the climate.
Describe process of freeze-thaw weathering? (Mechanical)
Areas where temperature fluctuates below/above freezing. When water enters the cracks in rocks and freeze, it expands by 10%, increasing pressure on rock, as it repeats, the cracks widen and pieces of rock break off.
What’s Salt crystallization (Mechanical)
Salt crystals are deposited in cracks and overtime the salt accumulates and applies pressure to rock
What’s biological weathering?
Weathering by action of vegetation/living organisms.
How do birds/animals cause biological weathering?
Birds/Animal cause biological weathering by weaking rocks as they burrow/dig into them.
How do plant roots (seaweed) cause biological weathering?
seaweed attaches to rock and action of sea cause swaying seaweed to prise away loose rocks.
Define Chemical Weathering?
Occurs when rocks are exposed to air and moisture, so chemical process can break down rock.
What’s oxidation (chemical weathering)
Oxidation causes rock to disintegrate when oxygen dissolved in water reacts with some rocks.
What’s Carbonation (chemical)
Occurs when CO2 dissolved in rain water makes weak carbonic acid and reacts with calcium carbonates in limestone to form calcium bicarbonate which dissolves easily in water.
