Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
howsoilform
Weatheringisthemechanicalbreakdownofrockandtheassociatedchemicalalterationofmineralsthatoccursatthe
Earthssurface.
Weatheringispartofaprocessofbreakdownofrockandtransportoftheresultingmaterials.Thisoverallprocessis
oftenreferredtoaserosion.Technically,erosionistheremovaloftheweatheredmaterialandisonlypartoftheoverall
process.Theprocessiscomposedof4stages
Weathering>Erosion>Transport>Deposition
Erosion,transportanddepositionareaccomplishedbyagentssuchaswind,iceandwater.Wewillexaminethesein
detailinfuturechapters.
Weatheringconsistsoftwoaspects,mechanicalweatheringandchemicalweathering
1. Mechanicalweathering isthephysicalfragmentationofrock
2. Chemicalweathering isthechemicalalterationofmineral
Mechanicalandchemicalweatheringnotonlyoccursimultaneously,theyassisteachotherintheoverall
weatheringprocess.
http://www.geologyin.com/2015/01/weatheringandsoil.html 1/4
15/3/2015 WeatheringandSoil|GeologyIN
Mechanicalweatheringincreasestheexposedsurfaceareaofrockonwhichchemicalweatheringcanoccur.
Chemicalweatheringeffectsdifferentmineralsatdifferentrates.Thisweakensthefabricoftherockfacilitating
mechanicalweathering.
MechanicalWeatheringProcesses
Frostwedging inthedailyfreezethawcycleathighaltitudes,waterseepsintocracks,freezesandexpands
extendingthecrack,thenmeltsandseepsdeepintothenewlylengthenedcrackasthecyclerepeats.
Thermalexpansioneveninclimatesthatdonotexperiencedailyfreezethawcycles,dailytemperaturecycles
expandandcontracttherockscausingfracturing.
Unloading manyrocks,forexampleplutonicigneousrocks,formdeepinthecrust.Whentheyareexposed
asthesurfacebytheremovalofoverlyingrocksbyerosion,thepressureontherockisreducedcausingitto
expandandcrack.Rockslikegraniteoftencrackinconcentriclayers(likeanonion)resultinginaprocess
knownasexfoliation.ThiscausesgranitedomessuchasHalfDomeinYosemite,EnchantedRockinTexas,and
StoneMountaininGeorgia.
Organicactivity plantroots,burrowinganimals,etc.
Abrasioncornersarefragilethingsonrockslikeonfurniture.Asrocksaretransported,theyabradeagainst
oneanother,removingcornersfirst,thenedges.Thus,astransporttimeanddistanceincreases,rockfragments
becomerounded(notnecessarilyspherical)ascornersandedgesareremoved.
Acids
AcidsaresolutionsthathavemoreH+ionsthanpurewater.TheconcentrationofH+ions(expressedasa
negativelogarithm)isthepHofasolution.IfpHdropsby1,theconcentrationofH+ionsgoesupby10.
SincetheatmospherecontainsCO2,andsoilishighinCO2,mostrainwaterendsupmixingwithCO2toforma
weakacidknownascarbonicacid.
H2O+CO2=H2CO3=H++HCO3
Humaninducedpollutantssuchassulfuroxidesandnitrogenoxidescauseacidraintoincludesulfuricandnitric
acids.
ChemicalWeatheringProcesses
Solution(ordissolution)Thisisthedissolvingofsolublemineralsinwaterorweakacids.Solubleminerals
aregenerallyionicallybondedmineralssuchascalciteandhalite.Silicatemineralsarenotsubjecttosolutioning.
Solutioningrequiresconsiderableamountsofwatertoremovemuchmaterial.Itisthusmosteffectiveinwet
climates.Solutioningisveryeffectiveoncarbonaterocks.
OxidationThisreactioneffectsironbearingminerals,formingironoxides.Ironoxidesarestrongcoloring
agentsandgivemanyrockstheirreddishortancoloration.
Hydrolysisthisreactionisthemostimportantweatheringreactionbecauseiteffectsthesilicateminerals.
Silicateswithionicallybondedmetalions(everythingexceptquartz)areweatheredbythisreaction.In
hydrolysis,theH+ionfromwaterorweakacidworksitswayintothemineralstructureduetoitsverysmallsize
(itisanucleuswithnoelectrons).BecausetheH+ionissoreactive,itdislodgesothermetalionsandcauses
thechemicalbreakdownofthecrystalstructure.Themostimportantbyproductofhydrolysisareclayminerals.
Becausesilicatesarethemostabundantmineralsinthecrust,claymineralsarethemostabundantbyproductof
http://www.geologyin.com/2015/01/weatheringandsoil.html 2/4
15/3/2015 WeatheringandSoil|GeologyIN
weathering.
ByproductsofWeathering
Thebyproductsofweatheringare,ingeneral:
1. detritussolidfragments
2. newmineralsclays,ironoxides,etc.
3. ionsinsolutioncarriedoffbystreamsintolakesoroceans
Somespecificbyproductsofweathering
Mineral Byproducts
Ferromagnesiansilicates IronoxidesclaysMg++ionsandSiO2insolution
Feldspars ClaysmineralsCa++,K+,Na+ionsandSiO2insolution
Quartz doesnotchemicallyweather,onlyabradesintosmallergrainsof
quartz
Calcite Ca++andCO3ionsinsolution
RatesofWeathering
Ingeneral,thewettertheclimate,thefasterweatheringoccurs
Inwetclimates,carbonates(solutioning)usuallyweatherfasterthansilicates(hydrolysis)sincesolutioningrequires
morewaterthanhydrolysis.Theoppositeistrueinaridandsemiaridclimateswherecarbonateslikelimestonesusually
weathermoreslowlythancarbonates.IncentralTexas,limestonesweatherslowly,thustheAlamohasnotyet
dissolved!
Maficsilicatesweathermorerapidlythanfelsicsilicates.Thustheferromagnesiansilicatesweatherrapidlyintoclaysand
ironoxides.Feldsparsweathermoreslowly.Quartzdoesnotchemicallyweather.
Soils
Soilisacomplexmixtureofdetritus,looserockfragmentscalledregolith,water,airandorganicmaterial.
SoilHorizons
ClaysandpositiveionsareusuallyleachedfromtheAhorizon(calledthezoneofleaching)intotheBhorizon(called
thezoneofaccumulation).
SoilFormingFactors
Climaterainfallismostimportant,temperaturerangeisalsoimportant
Parentrockcontrolsthemineralsavailableforsoil
Slopeangleandaspectsteeperslopesgenerallymeanthinnersoils,aspectcontrolsplantgrowthandsoil
moisturelevels.
Timeifanareaisstippedbyperiodicwindstormsorflooding,thicksoilwillnotendure
Organicgrowthtypeanddensityofplantgrowth
http://www.geologyin.com/2015/01/weatheringandsoil.html 3/4
15/3/2015 WeatheringandSoil|GeologyIN
MajorSoilTypes
1.Pedalfers
Pedalfersaresoilswhichforminregionsofmoderately
highrainfallandcooltomoderatetemperatures.These
soilsarerichinAlandFe,hencethenamePedAlFer.
Thesesoilsaregenerallyrichbrownsoilsandunderlie
muchoftheeasternandmidwesternUS.Themain
processinformingthissoilismoderateleaching.Most
solubleions(Ca,Na)areremoved.Aluminumis
presentinclaysthatpredominateintheBlayer
(subsoil)alongwithironoxides.
2.Pedocals
Pedocalsforminhotdryclimate.Here,littleleachingtakes
place.SolubleionsaremovedfromtheAlayerbutaccumulate
intheBlayerratherthanbeingremovedfromthesoil.TheB
layerisoftenrichinswellingclays(smectiteclays)whichcan
beproblematicforroadwaysandhomefoundations(likeherein
SA!).CalciteaccumulatesintheBlayer.Ifenoughcalcite
accumulatesintheBlayer,hardcementlikelayersorclumps
calledcalichedevelop.Pedocalsareusuallythinsoils(duetolowrainfall)andarenotidealforcultivation.
3.Laterites
Lateritesarethickredsoilsthatdevelopinareasofhighrainfallandtemperature.Extensiveleachinghasremovedallof
thesolubleionsaswellassomeoftheclays,leavingmostlyaluminumoxidesandironoxides.Lateritesarenutrient
poorsoils.Thefactthattheyunderlymanytropicalrainforestsatteststothefactthatthenutrientcyclesintropical
rainforestslargelybypassthesoil.Nutrientsarerecycledrapidlyfromdecayingorganicmaterialbackintolivingplants.
Symbioticplantsoftengrowdirectlyonotherplantsratherthanonthesoil.Cutting,orworseburning,rainforestsnot
onlyremovesanimportantsourceofoxygen,andsinkforcarbondioxide,butleavesbehindlandthatisunsuitablefor
mostformsofagriculture.Lateritesdrytobrickhardconsistencyandareusedasbuildingmaterial.Aluminumrich
lateritesareknownasbauxite,andaretheprimaryoreforaluminum.Sinceextractingaluminumfrombauxiteis
relativelyexpensive,recyclingofaluminumhasprovencosteffectiveandisthereforeoneofthemostsuccessful
examplesofrecycling.
TheabovestoryisbasedonmaterialsprovidedbyUniversityoftrinity.
http://www.geologyin.com/2015/01/weatheringandsoil.html 4/4