Weathering and Erosion

Abrasion

The grinding away of rock by other rock particles carried in water, ice, or wind

Chemical Weathering

The process that breaks down rock through chemical changes

Clay Formation

Chemical weathering of minerals into clay.

Dissolving

a physical change in which particles of a substance are separated by water particles

Frost Wedging

The mechanical breakup of rock caused by the expansion of freezing water in cracks and crevices

Mechanical Weathering

The type of weathering in which rock is physically broken into smaller pieces

Rusting

The corrosion of iron that is present in Earth's materials

Weathering

The breaking down of rocks and other materials on the Earth's surface.

Erosion

the breakdown and transport of Earth's materials

Exfoliation

A mechanical weathering process which removes overlying layers of rock due to pressure release

Salt Weathering

a weathering process where salt crystals grow and expand in the cracks and holes of rock, creating pressure which eventually causes fragments of rock to break away

Heat Expansion

Heat causes the rock to expand and fracture

Root Wedging

In this type of physical weathering, the roots of a plant (typically a tree) wedge into a crack in a rock and, as the plant grows, splits the rock.

Lichen growth

Weathering from chemical produced by colonies of algae and fungi that break down rock