Chemical Weathering What is it? How does it happen? What do the effects look like? What is it? How does it happen? What do the effects look like?

Chemical Weathering  Chemical weathering is… …breaking down rock by chemical changes  Chemical weathering is… …breaking down rock by chemical changes

What factors contribute to chemical weathering?  Water  Oxygen  Carbon dioxide  Living things produce chemicals  Acid rain  Water  Oxygen  Carbon dioxide  Living things produce chemicals  Acid rain

Water  Water is the most important cause of chemical weathering. Water breaks down rock by DISSOLVING it:

Chemical Weathering: water

Chemical weathering: oxygen  Oxygen can cause chemical changes to rock: rocks that contain iron look rusty

Chemical weathering: oxygen  Rocks that contain copper tend to turn green:

Chemical Weathering  The atmosphere naturally contains CO 2  Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is dissolved by rainwater, and can cause both man-made and natural features to chemically weather.  The atmosphere naturally contains CO 2  Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is dissolved by rainwater, and can cause both man-made and natural features to chemically weather.

Chemical weathering: plants and microbes  Living things produce acids that can speed up weathering:

Chemical weathering: acid rain  The CO 2 and sulfur compounds in the atmosphere have increased significantly since the industrial revolution: