What Does weathering Mean
The weathering is the process which causes a change of state or natural position of rock from a chemical, physical or biological action . Weather conditions, water and air can cause these alterations.
Rock exposed to weathering suffers the loss of the material that disintegrates. In this case, said material remains close to the rock, which does not move; with erosion , on the other hand, the remains are transported far from the place where the degradation took place.
Weathering involves the weakening and fragmentation of the rock. After this stage, erosion can come, with the collection and transfer of sediments by wind, water, etc.
It should be noted, on the other hand, that weathering can be considered synonymous with weathering . This is the name given to the degradation or fragmentation of minerals due to their contact with the biosphere, the hydrosphere or the atmosphere.
We speak of chemical weathering to refer to the wear caused by a chemical change. The physical weathering , meanwhile, is generated by a mechanical action on the rock. As for the biologic weathering , it is a consequence of the action of living beings s on mineral.
The effects of weathering reach greater or lesser magnitude depending on the characteristics of the rock. Due to its composition or texture, it can resist the consequences of this process in different ways.
It is important to mention that weathering affects soil formation . With the substances from the rocks that the process releases, variations in acidity and alkalinity are recorded on the surface.