Weathering Flashcards
Strata are horizontal…
layers of material.
Weathering is a breakdown of…
rock in situ-it is not taken away(erosion).
Physical/Mechanical weathering results in…
disintegration of a rock, producing angular fragments of the same rock.
Biological weathering is a form of…
disintegration(mechanical) and decomposition(chemical). The processes are interrelated.
Chemical weathering involves…
granular disintegration on the particle level, creating altered rock substances.
Freeze-thaw weathering can be found in areas…
of temperature change above or below 0 degrees, which can be either diurnal or seasonal.
Joints are cracks in a rock in…
vertical position.
Lines of weakness are cracks in a rock in…
horizontal position.
During freeze-thaw, water percolate…
into joints and freezes.
The volume of frozen water expands by…
9%.
The expansion of frozen water…
forces the rock apart. Over time, the joints get larger.
Frost shattering can happen if…
the rock is filled with a lot of water-the rock instantly breaks apart.
Salt crystallisation can be found in…
hot desert regions where low rainfall and high temperatures cause salt to accumulate just below the surface.
When water enters joints, salts such as…
sodium sulphate or sodium carbonate can be formed. These salts can expand by about 300%, putting pressure on the joints.
Another form of salt crystallisation can be when…
the water evaporates, salt crystals are left behind.
(salt crystallisation)As the temperature rises, the salt…
expands and exerts pressure on the rock.
Occasionally, salt crystallisation can occur in areas of…
polar regions, when salt is deposited form snowflakes.
The rate of disintegration of rock is related to…
porosity and permeability of the rock.
The combination of freeze-thaw and…
salt crystallisation produces the highest rates of breakdown.