Weathering is the breakdown of rock insitue (no movement). There are 3 different types of weathering
BIOLOGICAL
PHYSICAL WEATHERING
CHEMICAL WEATHERING
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BIOLOGICAL WEATHERING
the breakdown of rock in situe due to biological processes:
bacteria
tree roots
animals burrowing
PRODUCTS OF BIOLOGICAL WEATHERING:
rock fragments (scree)
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PHYSICAL WEATHERING
Freeze thaw/ frost shattering (water freezes inside a joint and expands by 9% inside the joint so it can seep deeper into the rock when it melts, repeated freeze-thaw action makes the joint expand so much that rocks break off and fall off into piles of scree)
Exfoliation (minerals expand when heated and contract when cooled, repeated expansion and contraction weaken the rock so the outside of the rock "peels off" in layers)
PRODUCTS OF PHYSICAL WEATHERING
rock fragments (scree)
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CHEMICAL WEATHERING
Carbonation (rain water picks up carbon dioxide and becomes slightly acidic, this dissolves calcite/limestone)
Oxidation (reaction of iron rich rocks with oxygen)
Hydrolysis (reaction of rock with water, important for feldspars)
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