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What Are the Facts About Mechanical Weathering?

Weathering is the disintegration of rock at surface level. There are two types of weathering, mechanical and chemical. Some of the major causes of mechanical weathering are plants, animals, frost, exfoliation and crystallization.

Erosion
- Weathering is different from erosion but they are related. Weathering is the process of breaking up surface rock. Erosion is the process of wind, water, or ice removing the rocks that have been broken up.
Frost
- Frost weathering occurs when water seeps into rock and then freezes. This can increase its volume by almost 10%. Frost causes angular fragments after breaking apart rock.
Exfoliation
- Exfoliation occurs when the temperature of the environment causes the rock to heat and cool until the stress of expansion and contraction forces the outer rock to peal off.
Crystals
- Sometimes rocks are filled with water containing salt. When the water evaporates, the left-over salt crystallizes and expands, causing stress inside the rock.
Biological
- Another form of weathering is due to biological processes, like trees, insects and animals. If tree roots grow into rocks, they can cause cracks.

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