1. What Affects the Rate of Weathering?
The natural weathering of Earth materials occurs very slowly.
The factors that affect the rate of weathering are:
Climate
Rock type and composition
Amount of surface area
Topography
Organisms
Chemical weathering occurs easily in climates with warm temperatures, a lot of rainfall and vegetation.
In general, sedimentary rocks are more easily weathered than harder igneous and metamorphic rocks.

2. Climate Hot and wet accelerates chemical weathering
Cold and dry accelerates mechanical weathering

3. Rock Type and Composition
In general, sedimentary rocks are weathered more easily than igneous and metamorphic rocks.
The cementing material of sedimentary rocks determines the weathering rate.
Rocks containing the mineral quartz do not weather easily.

4. Amount of Surface Area
The more surface area exposed to factors that cause weathering, the faster the rate of weathering will be.

5. Topography
Topography is the shape of landforms such as hills, valleys, mountains and canyons.
The rate of weathering increases with the steepness of topographic features.
For example, weathering will occur at a faster rate on the side of a mountain than it will in a field that is level.

6. Living Things
Living things, organisms, tend to increase the rate of weathering of rocks.