Weathering and Soil Formation

Weathering and Soil Formation
Weathering
 The breaking down of rocks and other
materials on the Earth’s surface is called
weathering. A slow, continuous process, it
affects all substances exposed to the
atmosphere.
Types of Weathering
Rocks on the Earth’s surface are broken
down by two types of weathering:
• mechanical and
• chemical.
Mechanical Weathering
•When the forces of weathering break rocks into smaller pieces but do not
change the chemical makeup of the rocks, the process is called
mechanical weathering.
•During mechanical weathering, rocks are broken into different shapes
and smaller pieces.
At the beginning the edges are jagged, as weathering continues, they
become round.
Causes of Mechanical
Weathering
• There are several causes of mechanical
weathering.
• Temperature
• Frost action
• Organic activity
• Gravity
• abrasion
Temperature
• Rocks can be broken apart by changes in temperature. As rocks are heat up in
the sun during the day, the outside of the rock expands.
• The inside of the rocks remain cool and do not expand. When the air
temperature drops at night, the outside of the rock cools and contracts. This
continuing cycle causes particles to break off..
Frost Action
• Unlike most liquids, water expands when it freezes.
• Frost Wedging occurs when water seeps into cracks of the rocks, freezes
and expands, gradually breaking the rock apart into pieces.
• The repeated freezing and melting of water, called frost action, is another
cause of mechanical weathering.
• When water freezes in cracks in the rocks, it expands, making the crack
larger. In time, this causes the rock to break into pieces.
Exfoliation Weathering or Unloading
• This type of weathering takes place when the cracks develop parallel to the
land surface. As a result, a consequence of the reduction in pressure takes
place during uplift and erosion.
• In exfoliation, rock breaks apart in layers that are parallel to the Earth’s
surface. Exfoliation is common in plutonic igneous rocks since they are
exposed to great pressure.
Organic Activity
• Plants and animals can cause mechanical
weathering.
• The roots of plants sometimes loosens rock
material.
• A plant growing in a crack can make the crack
larger as the root spread out. This is known as
root-pry.
• It is organic since this activity is caused by
living things.
Gravity
• Gravity is another agent of mechanical weathering.
• Sometimes gravity pulls loosened rocks down mountain cliffs
in a landslide.
• A landslide is a large movement of loose rocks and soil. As
the rocks fall, they collide with one another and break into
smaller pieces.
• Falling rocks usually occur in areas where a road has been cut
through, leaving cliffs on both sides.
Abrasion
• Wind-blown sand causes mechanical weathering .
• Abrasion is the weathering of rocks by solid particles carried by wind,
water or other forces.
• In desert regions, the wind easily picks up and moves sand. Sharp edges of
the sand particles scrape off pieces of exposed rocks. Running water also
carries loose rocks which scrape
Chemical Weathering
• When the chemical makeup of the rocks is

changed it is called chemical weathering.
• During chemical weathering, changes
occur in the mineral composition of rocks.
• Minerals can be added, removed or broken
down (decomposed).Many substances react
chemically with rocks to break them down.
Types of Chemical Weathering
• There are several causes of chemical weathering.
• Oxidation
• Carbonation
• Sulfuric acid
• Plant acids
Oxidation
• Chemical weathering is also caused by oxidation.
• Oxidation is the process in which oxygen chemically
combines with another substance.
• The result of oxidation is the formation of an entirely
different substance.
• Iron in rocks combines with oxygen in the air to form
iron oxide, or rust.
Carbonation
• When carbon dioxide dissolves in water, a
weak acid called carbonic acid is formed.
• When carbonic acid reacts chemically with
other substance, the process of carbonation
occurs.
• In nature, carbonic acid is formed
when carbon dioxide in the air dissolves in
rain.
• This acid rain falls to the ground and
sinks into the soil. It decomposes feldspar
and limestone.
Sulfuric Acid
• The air in certain areas is polluted with sulfur oxides.
• Sulfur oxides are a byproduct of the burning of coal as a
source of energy.
• These compounds dissolve in rainwater to form sulfuric acid.
• Rain that contains sulfuric acid is one type of acid rain.
• It is much stronger than carbonic acid. Sulfuric acid corrodes
rocks, metals and other materials quickly.
Plant Acids
• Plants produce weak acids that dissolve certain
minerals in rocks.
• Mosses and lichens produce weak acids that dissolve
some of the minerals in the rocks they grow on.
• Gradually the rocks break into smaller pieces. They are
important in the formation of soil.
Rate of Weathering
• The rate of weathering depends on several factors,
including:
• The composition of the rock
• The amount of time that the rock is exposed on the
Earth’s surface
• The amount of exposed surface on a rock
Composition of Rocks
• Two different types of rocks in the same climate can weather
differently, depending on the minerals that make up each rock
type.
• If the minerals in a rock resist chemical weathering, the rock is
called a stable rock.
• The stability of a rock can vary depending on the climate in
which the rock is found. Limestone is stable in a dry
climate but not in a wet climate.
Amount of Time of Exposure
• The amount of time that rock is exposed on the Earth’s
surface also affects its rate of weathering.
• A very old rock that has not been exposed to the forces of
weathering can remain almost unchanged. If a newly
formed rock is deposited on the Earth’s surface it will begin
to weather right away.
The Amount of Exposed Surface
• The amount of exposed surface area on a rock also affects
its rate of weathering.
• As rocks are broken down into many small pieces, more
rock surfaces are exposed and more weathering takes
place.
• In rocks that contain many joints or cracks, various
chemicals easily come into contact with the rock surfaces
and break them down.
Importance of Soil
• The formation of soil is extremely important to most living organisms.
• Plants depend on soil as source of food. Soil supplies plants with
minerals and water needed for growth.
• Animals depend indirectly on soil since they eat plants and other
animals that eat plants.
Residual Soil
• Sometimes soil remains on top of its parent rock, or the
rock from which it was formed.
• This is called residual soil. Residual soil has a composition
similar to that of the parent rock it covers.
Mature Soil
• Soil that has developed three layers is called mature soil. It
takes thousands of years and the proper conditions for soil to
develop three layers.
• The uppermost layer of mature soil is called the A horizon.
The
A horizon is a dark-colored soil layer in which much activity
by living organisms takes place.
• Bacteria, earthworms and beetles help the decay.
Transported Soil
• Some soil is removed from the parent rock by water, wind, glaciers and
waves.
• Soil that is moved away from its place of origin is called transported
soil. Transported soil can be very different in composition from the
rock it covers.

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• When the chemical makeup of the rocks is

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