GROUP

What is
weathering
?

Weathering!
breaks

down and loosens the

surface minerals ofrockso they
can be transported away by
agents of erosion such as water,
wind and ice.

Mechanical weathering
-

Itis process of breaking big rocks into

smaller and smaller fragments and
usually happens near the surface of the
planet.
Chemical makeup of rocks does not
change.
Frost action is an effective form of
mechanical weathering.

Causes of Mechanical
weathering
1.

2.
3.

Ice wedging- When water freezes in the

cracks and pores of rocks, the force of
its expansion is strong enough to split
the rocks apart
Release of Pressure causes the
outside of the rock to crack
Plant Growth the roots push into the
rocks and break them apart.

Temperature
During

the day, sun heats outside of

rock and it expands
During the night, the outside of the rock
cools and contracts
Cycle of heating and cooling continues
each day, and parts of rock crack or
peel off
Causes exfoliation: rocks break off in
curved sheets or slabs

Frost Action:
see
demonstration

Frost Action
Water

gets into cracks of rocks, where it

freezes
Freezing water expands inside crack of
rock, and crack grows until it forces rock
to break
Can you think of examples of this you
have seen before?

Organic Activity
Roots

of plants loosen rocks

Plant growing in a rocks crack can make crack grow
as roots grow and spread
Called root-pry: breaking apart of rocks caused by
plant roots

Gravity
Gravity

pulls loose
rocks down cliffs of
mountains: called a
landslide
Rocks that fall collide
with other rocks and
break them into
smaller pieces

Abrasion
Wearing

away by solid
particles carried in the
wind and water
wind and water pick up
particles that have
been eroded
Sharp edges of sand
and particles cut into
exposed rocks

Chemical
Weathering!
Weathering

that causes changes in the

chemical makeup of rocks
Minerals can be added or removed from
rocks
Substances react chemically with rocks
and break them down

Causes of chemical
weathering
Water
Oxidation
Carbonation
Sulfuric

Acid
Plant Acids

Water
Can

dissolve minerals that hold rocks

together
Can form acids when it mixes with
certain gases
These acids speed up rock
decomposition
Can combine with a mineral to form a
new mineral

Oxidation
Process

in which oxygen combines with

another substance
Forms a new substance
Example: iron and oxygen combine to form
iron oxide (rust)
Indicated by its color

Carbonation
Carbonic

acid reacts chemically with

other substances
Carbonic acid: weak acid formed
when carbon dioxide dissolves in rain

Sulfuric acid
Sulfur

oxides are a byproduct of burning

coal
When sulfur oxides dissolve in
rainwater, they form sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid is a strong acid that quickly
wears away rocks and metals

Plant acids
Plans

produce weak acids that dissolve

certain minerals
Example: mosses, which grow in damp
areas, produce weak acids that seep
into rocks and dissolve certain minerals

Rate of weathering
Rate

of weathering: how fast weathering takes

place
Depends on several factors:

Type of rock
Stable

rock: rock that can resist chemical

weathering

Time
Size of exposed surface area

They form
soil!

Soil is formed
when rocks are
continuously
broken down by
weathering.

Why do we
need soil?

Why we need soil

Very

important for all living things

Plants need minerals and water found in
soil to grow
Animals either eat these plants or eat
other animals that eat the plants
Humans eat plants or eat the animals
that eat the plants

Soil
Residual

soil: soil that remains on top of the

rock it came from
Transported soil: soil that moves away from
its origin
Bedrock: layer of rock beneath the soil

Soil from organic material

Humus:

part of the soil formed by

decaying organic material

Comes from living things

Decay means to break down plants and
animals into what they are made of
Humus is important for plant growth (fills
soil with nutrients plants need)

What do you think soil is

made of?

Ingredients of soil
2

main ingredients:
Humus (organic material)
Pieces of weathered rock (80% of soil)
Most

Other

abundant minerals: clay and quartz

ingredients:

Air
Water

Where is the air and water?

Pore

spaces: space between soil

particles

Fill with air and water

Plant

roots get the oxygen they need

from the air found in pore spaces
Plants use minerals that are dissolved in
the water in pore spaces

Soil Composition Varies

Different

types of rocks being broken

down = different types of soil
Different types of weathering = different
types of soil

Mechanical weathering: soil is similar to

rock being weathered
Chemical weathering: soil is different from
rock it came from

Soil Texture
Different

size particles give soil different texture

Largest particles: gravel (2-64 mm in diameter)
Gravel breaks down into sand (less than 2 mm
in diameter)
Silt is made of broken rock crystals (less than
1/16 mm in diameter)
Clay has smallest particles (less than 1/256 mm
in diameter)

Soil
Layers

Soil has layers

Layers

of soil are called horizons

You can take a cross section of soil to
see the different horizons called a soil
profile
Soil with 3 layers: mature soil
Soil with 2 layers: immature soil

Uppermost layer
Called

the A horizon
Soil here is topsoil
Contains mostly humus
Living organisms add minerals to it
regularly
Many pore spaces
Fertile soil good for planting

Middle layer
Called

the B horizon
Soil here is called subsoil
Minerals are washed by water from
topsoil down into B horizon: called
leaching
Made of minerals from leaching, clay,
and some humus

Bottom layer
Called

the C horizon
Made of partly weathered rock
Continues until you reach the
unweathered parent rock
Composition is similar to parent rock
below the soil

WHY
SOIL
IS
IMPORTANT?

Soil is a vital part of the natural environment. It is

just as important as plants, animals, rocks,
landforms, lochs and rivers. It influences the
distribution of plant species and provides a habitat
for a wide range of organisms. It controls the flow
of water and chemical substances between the
atmosphere and the earth, and acts as both a
source and store for gases (like oxygen and
carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere. Soils not only
reflect natural processes but also record human
activities both at present and in the past. They are
therefore part of our cultural heritage.

Factors
Affecting
Soil Formation

Thanks for listening!