The breakdown and decomposition of rocks and minerals at or near the earth surface in response to atmospheric factors is called weathering.
It occurs as a result of both chemical and mechanical process.
There are basically two types of weathering
1. Mechanical Weathering
2. Chemical Weathering
Mechanical weathering is the physical disintegration of earth material at or near the surface. That is, larger rocks are broken into smaller pieces. A number of process cause mechanical weathering .the three most important are frost action, the development of salt crystals, and root action. If water that soaks into a rock freezes, ice crystals grow and exert pressure on the rock.
Chemical weathering: a number of weathering processes cause a rock to decompose rather then disintegrates .in other words, the mineral composing rocks separate into component parts by chemical reactions rather than fragmentation. The three most important processes are oxidation, hydrolysis and carbonation. Because each of these depends on the availability of water, less chemical weathering occurs in dry and cold areas then warm once.
Mechanical and chemical weathering create soil .the thin layer of fine material containing organic matter, air water and weather rock material that rests on the solid rock below it. Soil type is much more a function of the climate of the region in which it occurs than it is of the kind of bedrock below it. Temperature and rainfall act on minerals, in conjunction with the decaying of vegetation to form soils.
It occurs as a result of both chemical and mechanical process.
There are basically two types of weathering
1. Mechanical Weathering
2. Chemical Weathering
Mechanical weathering is the physical disintegration of earth material at or near the surface. That is, larger rocks are broken into smaller pieces. A number of process cause mechanical weathering .the three most important are frost action, the development of salt crystals, and root action. If water that soaks into a rock freezes, ice crystals grow and exert pressure on the rock.
Chemical weathering: a number of weathering processes cause a rock to decompose rather then disintegrates .in other words, the mineral composing rocks separate into component parts by chemical reactions rather than fragmentation. The three most important processes are oxidation, hydrolysis and carbonation. Because each of these depends on the availability of water, less chemical weathering occurs in dry and cold areas then warm once.
Mechanical and chemical weathering create soil .the thin layer of fine material containing organic matter, air water and weather rock material that rests on the solid rock below it. Soil type is much more a function of the climate of the region in which it occurs than it is of the kind of bedrock below it. Temperature and rainfall act on minerals, in conjunction with the decaying of vegetation to form soils.