Coastal Weathering and Erosion

1) It happens when the weather alternates above and below 0°c (the freezing point of water)

2) Water gets into rock thats has cracks eg. granite

3) When the water freezes, it expands, which puts pressure on the rock

4) When the water thaws, it contracts, which releases the pressure on the rock

5) Repeated freezing and thawing widens the cracks and cuases the rock to break up

1) Rainwater has carbon dioxide dissolved in it, which makes it a weak carbonic acid

2) Carbonic acid reacts with rock that contains calcium carbonate eg. carboniferous limestone, so the rocks are dissolved by the rainwater