What Role Does Weathering Play In The Rock Cycle

Weathering

Did you know weathering have a big role in the rock cycle? Weathering is the chemical alteration and physical breakdown of rocks during exposure to the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. There are three different types of weathering. Physical, chemical and biological. Water, ice, acids, salt, plants, animals, and changes in temperature are all agents of weathering. Weathering can cause rocks, mountains, and other landforms to break and fall apart. Without weathering, we would not have had as advanced science today. We would not know why rocks and mountains are falling down/apart and why it happened. The three types of weathering has a big role in the rock cycle. They are physical weathering, chemical weathering and biological weathering. Firstly physical weathering is a term used in science that refers to the geological process of rocks breaking apart without changing their chemical composition. An example of physical weathering is when

When acids are in rainwater and go onto the rock, this is an example of weathering. Weathering can also make mountains fall down/break apart. This is an example of mechanical processes can break the rock apart as these processes are governed by physical forces. Thermal expansion is an example of a mechanical weathering. As rock is exposed to sunlight during the day, it heats up and the heat causes it to expand. At night, however, the rock cools down and contracts. Repeated expansion and contraction causes stress in the rock, making cracks and causing parts to fall off.Other landform such as cliffs or anything that has a rock in it also is affected by weathering. An example of this is if tree branches wrap itself around a cliff or rock and squeezed it to make it fall apart. Weathering Does not just break down cliffs,rocks and mountains. It also breaks down stone houses and things like