The climate impacts weathering, which is the process of breaking down rocks into soils and sediment. Stones found in low conditions that are subjected to a lot of rain, humidity, and heat degrade or weather faster than equivalent rocks found in dry and cold climes. Sandstone is a form of sedimentary rock that is highly resistant to weathering. Mudstone and siltstone are two other sedimentary rocks you’ll come across.
The climate influences weathering.
A region’s seasonal weather patterns, known as climate, are defined by average temperatures, precipitation, wind, and sun over the course of a year. Some types of rocks wear more quickly in humid regions, while others are more vulnerable to attack in dry areas.
Limestone weathers quickly in moist regions, where rainwater combines with carbon dioxide in the soil to make a weak acid that dissolves the limestone, resulting in cracks and valleys.
On the other hand, sandstone weathers more quickly in dry areas because the quartz in the stone is highly resistant to weathering but susceptible to fracturing caused by ice generated when water freezes and expands in fissures.
Climates: Wet vs. Dry
Wet climates hasten chemical weathering when carbon dioxide in dirt reacts with air and water to generate a weak acid. The weak acid breaks down rocks more quickly than in dry conditions in rainy regions. Because the mineral olivine is relatively unstable and prone to chemical assault, olivine-rich rocks degrade much more rapidly in humid environments.
Chemical weathering is accelerated in hot wet conditions, while physical weathering is accelerated in cold, dry regions. Although the rate of weathering varies depending on the type of rock, tropical areas have the highest rates due to the combination of high heat and copious rainfall.
How does weathering occur?
Weathering occurs in one of three ways: through physical processes such as freezing and thawing, through biological processes such as live organisms breaking rocks with their roots, or through chemical processes in which carbon dioxide in the soil and air reacts with water and specific minerals in rocks to form a weak acid that breaks down rocks into the silt, dirt, and sediment.
Types of Weathering By mechanical disintegration or chemical decomposition, weathering breaks down the rock.
Mechanical (or physical) weathering is the process of rock fragmentation caused by forces such as ice or salt wedging, and the release of pressure on rocks created deep beneath and exposed at the Earth’s surface.
Chemical weathering, on the other hand, refers to processes that weather rock through chemical reactions, such as when minerals in rocks disintegrate or replace themselves as a result of contact with air or water.
Contact us
If you have any queries concerning the sandstone resistance to weathering, please speak with one of our experts at Brisbane Rock Sales. For more information, call 07 3339 1546.
