Weathering and Soil Formation — Question 12

Climatic factors like rainfall, wind, frost and extremes of temperature affect weathering.

• Wind has sand particles that erode the softer rocks.
• Water or frost when present in crevices of rocks exert pressure on rocks and breaks it.
• Extreme high temperature leads to expansion in rocks and extreme low temperature causes contraction. The repetitive expansion and contraction lead to weathering of rocks.
• Rain, snow and other forms of precipitation contribute to weathering by providing water that can dissolve and transport minerals and rocks. For example, water that contains dissolved carbon dioxide can create a weak acid that can dissolve limestone and erode them leading to the formation of caves and other features.