Weathering,
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weathering -- n. The physical, chemical, and biological processes by which rock is broken down into smaller pieces.
weathering The process by which Earth materials change when exposed to conditions at or near the Earth's surface and different from the ones under which they formed. compare decomposition , disintegration .
[edit] Weathering
Main article: Weathering
This results from chemical dissolution of rock and from the mechanical wearing of rock by plant roots, ice expansion, and the abrasive action of sediment.
Weathering also releases ions such as K+ and Mg2+ in to the soil solution. Some of these ions are taken up by plants, but the majority not left in solution are absorbed through ion exchange by clays such as montmorillonite.
Atmospheric weathering (H2O, O2, and CO2and near surface weathering mainly by water affect all rocks. Physical weathering: roots, still and moving water, wind, human activities fractures, grinds, and flakes rocks into particles.
A loose, unconsolidated deposit of weathering debris, chemical precipitates or biological debris that accumulates on Earth's surface.
Sedimentary Rock: ...
Saprolite, sediment derived from the in-situ weathering of underlying bedrock, is generally thickest at the tops of hills and ridges in the Piedmont and the water table is deepest in these locations at approximately 40 feet (Daniel 1989).
erosion Group of natural processes including weathering, dissolution, abrasion, corrosion, and transportation that remove material from any part of the Earth's surface.
 See also: Surface, Area, Sediment, Soil, Region
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