Chemical Weathering Essay

Chemical weathering happens when rocks formed deep underground are exposed to environmental conditions at the earth surface. The process, which is rocks being broken apart or chemically altered to become sediment is weathering. Which is also caused but the temperatures and pressures that are transformed into the types of chemical compounds. The chemical compounds are exposed to the air and water at the surface. Chemical weathering does not make smaller fragments of rocks through wind, water, and ice it changes the composition of the rock by carbonation, hydration, hydrolysis or oxidation. The three main type of chemical weathering is Hydrolysis, Oxidation, and Dissolution with the chemistry behind them.

Chemical weathering also happen as a result of exposure to water and that is called hydrolysis.

Since rocks and minerals are affected by hydrolysis then it means that acids can be produced creating carbonation. “ The internal surface of each unweathering rock is characterized as both a mass fractal and a surface fractal (Bazilevskaya).” Carbonation occurs when it rains which it naturally a little acidic due to (CO2), which is carbon dioxide, combines with (CaCo3) which is calcium carbonate. “Rain had a normal pH level 5.0-5.5, which alone is acidic enough to cause a chemical reaction (Andrew).” The acid from the rain and the chemical reaction of carbon dioxide and calcium carbonate is what causes the chemical weathering. The acid on the minerals covers the type of chemical solutions, which is basic than acidic ones. As it said in oxidation about the weathering process that is transformation of rock into soil through physical and chemical reaction with the process that effect CO2 cycle. So if CO2 is in carbonation and if oxidations for the weathering process it could mean that all of these three types of chemical weathering are fitting in as one helping with the water or oxygen as will as