How do rocks become weathered?

Weathering: The chemical, Mechanical or even Biological breakdown of rock into smaller fragments. Chemical weathering occurs when a rock is altered by chemical ions, usually suspended in the medium of Water. For example, Carbonation. The mixing of water with Carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid, which later reacts with the minerals within a rock. read more

A rock that is weathered into new minerals but still looks somewhat like the parent rock is called a saprolite. If the saprolite fragments are subsequently removed from the site by water, wind, gravity, or ice, erosion has taken place. read more

3. Weathering of Rocks - they all wear away eventually!. ALL rock formation, whether they be igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary, do weather and erode away by one means or other (chemical or physical), but the rate of weathering or erosion can vary considerably from rock type to rock type. read more