Weathering Part 1: Physical Weathering

to break. Extremes of temperature, from very hot to very cold, can stress a rock and cause it to break. Even the extreme heat of a forest fire has been known to cause rocks to break. Animals and plants also work to break rocks apart. Burrowing animals remove soil and rock allowing other weathering processes to take place. Plants, and especially trees, like this one, will push and break rocks with their roots.

The processes of weathering and erosion have shaped the landscape that we know today. Spectacular panoramas such as the Grand Canyon would not be possible without weathering. Weathering breaks a rock down and it is then physically removed by erosion. Physical weathering is a mechanical process by which a rock is broken down to smaller pieces and more easily weathered. Extremes of heat and cold exploit cracks and joints in the rock, while rocks will be impacted and abraded or broken down by the action of animals and plants.

Next week I will cover the process of chemical weathering.

Go To Page: 1 2 3

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic