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Weathering
 Weathering is the process where rock is dissolved, worn away or
broken down into smaller and smaller pieces.
 BREAKS rocks into different shapes and smaller sizes
 Rocks get broken down to sand grains or even smaller
 Jagged rocks usually become smooth
 Weathering can happen by ice, wind, water or even by plants
 A river or ocean waves can
smash rocks against each
other, making them
smooth and turning rocks
into sand.
 Rain water can dissolve
some types of rock. Over
long periods of time rain
can even dissolve enough
rock to make caves.
 The famous Marble Arch caves in Co. Fermanagh were
formed by water dissolving the limestone rock.
 Freezing water in
cracks expands and
breaks rocks
 Sand carried by the wind can act like sandpaper, slowly
wearing the rock away.
 Plants can break up
rocks with their
growing roots.
 Burrowing animals
such as rabbits can
burrow into a crack in a
rock, making it bigger
and splitting the rock.
 Warming and
cooling of rock
causes top layers
to break off in
sheets
 Can you remember the four main ways that rocks can
get broken up?
 What do you think happens to the pieces of rock that
get broken away?