15/3/2015 WeatheringandSoil|GeologyIN

Weathering and Soil

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.

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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
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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

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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.

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