What are the differences between mechanical and chemical weathering?

Answer 1

Mechanical weathering is mainly due to one factor: gravity. Rocks fall and slide and weather. Wedging is a minor component.

Chemical weathering is water dissolving minerals and rock material or converting it to a more stable form. Everything disolves in water, just some things do it faster than others. Also, acid conditions can increase this. Many geologically formed minerals form at depth, and at surface conditions, with the help of water, these high temperature/pressure minerals alter to surface minerals (usually clays).

The two types go hand and hand, mainly because chemmical happens with surface area, and mechanical creates surface area.

Answer 2

The difference between mechanical and chemical weathering is that mechanical weathering is mainly due to one factor: gravity and chemical weathering is mainly due to one factor: gravity and chemical weathering is water dissolving minerals and rock material or converting it to a more stable form

Answer 3

Chemical weathering is caused by dissolution (such as calcium carbonate being dissolved by carbonic acid) or decomposition (feldspars take on water and may decompose to clay minerals, for example). Mechanical weathering refers to freezing and thawing of rocks (water in the rock crevices expands) and so on.

Answer 4

http://www.gpc.edu/~pgore/geology/historical_lab/weathering.php

http://grunwald.ifas.ufl.edu/Nat_resources/weathering/weathering.htm

http://www.soils.wisc.edu/courses/SS325/weathering.htm

http://geoweb.tamu.edu/courses/geol101/grossman/Weathering.pp.html

http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/geol111/weathering.htm

http://www.stonecaretechniques.com/8_m.htm

http://ruby.colorado.edu/~smyth/G101-6.html

http://www.geog.ouc.bc.ca/physgeog/contents/11b.html

http://lists.uakron.edu/geology/natscigeo/Lectures/weath/weath.htm

http://courses.smsu.edu/ejm893f/creative/glg110/Weathering.html

http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/office/ganderson/es10/lectures/lecture11/lecture11.html

http://www.geosci.unc.edu/faculty/glazner/Images/Weathering/weathering.html