Eg PPT 3

ENGINEERING
GEOLOGY
-Dr.(Mrs.)Vandana Patil
PHYSICAL GEOLOGY
PHYSICAL GEOLOGY
WEATHERING,EROSION AND
DENUDATION
Physical Geology
•Weathering, Erosion and Denudation
•These process are closely interrelated. The process of

chemical decay and mechanical disintegration of rocks is
called Weathering.
•Due to weathering affected rocks becomes weak, less

cohesive and fractured.
• Such overlying weathered material is easily dislodge by

process natural forces like gravity, or blowing wind or
running water or gliding glacier of waves. This process of
removal of weathered material from the place of its
formation is called Erosion.
•Erosion leads to degradation in that region.
•When erosion takes place , fresh underlying surfaces of

country rocks are exposed for weathering attack. This
process of exposing fresh country rocks to the surface is
called Denudation.
•In any area denudation leads to weathering, weathering

leads to erosion and erosion leads to denudation. Thus
these processes are interrelated
Geological Agents (G.A.)
•Are the natural forces which are responsible for the visible
changes on the earth surface.
•Are of two types
•i) Exogenous G.A.(epigene) –
• originates on the earth surface eg. River, wind ,glacier,

tides and waves of the sea. They work slow and methodical
involving Erosion, transportation and deposition. They
remove irregularities such as elevation (hills and highlands)
and depression (likes lakes and sea) leading to the
development of plain ground on the earth surface.
ii) Endogenous G.A.
•Originate below the earth surface, work suddenly and

create topographic irregularities
eg.volcanoes,earthquakes,groundwater and tectonic
forces
•Volcanoes are generally hill like structure with truncated

tops, Earthquakes are associated with geological faulting
phenomena. Groundwater is responsible for the
occurrence of Karst Topography.
WEATHERING OF ROCKS
WEATHERING OF ROCKS
There are two chief types of weathering
1. Physical or Mechanical weathering

(Disintegration)
2. Chemical weathering (Decomposition)
• In physical weathering-Break down the rock into

smaller and smaller fragments without change in
chemical composition.
• Disintegration occurs in higher drier and cooler
region.
Chemical Weathering
•It involves the chemical decomposition of the minerals
present in the rocks.
•This is brought about by water,generally rain water that

falls above the surface may dissolve many more
compounds.
•Rain water dissolve CO2,CO,N2,H2,O2 etc.If this rain

water come in contact with the rocks exposed on the
surface, different minerals behave differently and
various reactions start which try to decompose the
earlier ones and form new minerals.
PHYSICAL WEATHERING (eg.)
1) FROST ACTION
•When water which percolated into cracks of rocks,

freezes with the fall of temperature.
•The increasing volume will exert the tremendous

pressure upon the wall of the cracks
•The ultimate result will be that the wall will be broken

into pieces(angular to sub angular).
•This sort of disintegration action is called frost action.

•Frost action is predominant in cold countries/ areas of
high altitude and high latitudes.
•These broken fragments rolling down along the steeper

slope accumulating near the base forming irregular,
conical heaps or deposit called SCREE.
•Along the gentle slopes these fragments scatters all

over and form TALUS slope.
MECHANICAL WEATHERING
Frost-Wedging: water expands by 9% upon
freezing –most significant where freeze-thaw
cycles occurs often.
Frost Heaving: cooler under rocks, freezes,
expands and lifts.
Shattered rocks are common in cold and alpine
environments where repeated freeze-thaw cycles
gradually pry rocks apart.
Mechanical Weathering
Precipitation of Crystals: salts precipitating from water in rock
crevices/cracks. Forces the opening wider.
Root Systems
ROOT SYSTEMS DOMINENT IN COLD/DRY CLIMATE

Temperature Changes: differential expansion (deserts,
mountains, & forest fires).
Abrasion: friction/impact during transport.
PHYSICAL WEATHERING
2) THERMAL EFFECT
•Temp changes in arid regions. The daily variation can be

sometimes upto 100 degree- 150 degree.
•Variation of temperature(if continues) affect the strength of the

rocks.
•A rock consist of different minerals which have different

physical and chemical properties and therefore some minerals
are heated more while some less.
•This differential heating and cooling produces differential

strain in rocks and rock altimetly breaks.
Thermal expansion due to the extreme range of temperatures can shatter
rocks in desert environments.
Repeated swelling and shrinking of minerals with different expansion
rates will also shatter rocks.
3) EXFOLIATION
•In arid and semiarid regions where difference between day

time (70-80 degree)and night time(upto -10
degree)temperatures is very high.
•Such daily temperature fluctuations produced physical

disintegration i.e.expantion on heating followed by
contraction on cooling.
•Repeated expansion and contraction of the rock body breaks

it into smaller pieces.
•When the rock mass is layered and thick, additional
disrupting stresses may be developed into it by unequal
expansion and contraction from surface to the lower
regions.
•The upper layer expands and contracts more than the

lower layer.
•Due to this upper layer peels off the lower layer. This is
exfoliation.
Exfoliation:
Rock breaks a part in layers that are parallel to the earth's surface;
as rock is uncovered, it expands (due to the lower confining
pressure) resulting in exfoliation.
SHEET JOINTS (EXFOLIATION)
Pressure-Release: often
called exfoliation.
Caused by unroofing of
deep-seated rocks by
erosion. Sheet joints
and joint sets form (joint
= break in the rock
along which there has
been no movement).
Exfoliation domes.
HAIF DOME,YOCEMITE, CA
EXFOLIATED DOMES,YOCEMITE
Rates of Weathering
Joints in a rock are a

path way for water-
they can enhance
mechanical
weathering.
Chemical Weathering
Olivine[(Mg,Fe)2SiO4] weathers very quickly –it is not

present in sediments, soils, or sedimentary rocks.
Quartzis very resistant to chemical weathering; it is a

major constituent of mature sediments.
Chemical weathering
•Decomposition is purely a chemical phenomena which
involves change only in chemical composition of fresh
materials, leading to internal weakness .
•Water is in the form of river,glacier,frost and sea is very

active in bringing about the disintegration of rocks. It also
plays a leading role in the decomposion of the rocks.
•Water directly affects the rock by way of

solution,oxidation,,hydration, hydrolysis, carbonation
Chief processes of chemical weathering
• Solution
• CO2 of the atmosphere has the natural tendency to dissolve
in water. When the river water which has CO2 in the
dissolved condition traverses a limestone terrain, these rocks
are dissolved, resulting in the reduction of their size.
• CaCO3 + H2O + CO2 Ca(HCO3)2

( Limestone) (Water with dissolved (Calcium bicarbonate)
CO2)
Hydration
•The process of hydration involves absorption of water
molecule by the mineral and water is held up as it present
in crystal structure.
CaSO4 + 2H2O CaSO4 . 2H2O
(Anhydrite) (Gypsum)
Hydrolysis
The ions may be exchanged whereby some ions of water
entre into the crystal lattice of the mineral. The process of
involving exchange of ions is termed hydrolysis.
K+AlSi3O8 + H+ HAlSi3O8 + K+
(Orthoclase) (H+ ion (Silicic acid) (Potassium ion
from water) in solution)
Oxidation
The process of oxidation involves combination of oxygen with any
other element.
4Fe + 3O2 2Fe2O3

Iron Oxygen Iron oxide
Fe2O3 + H2O Fe2O3.H20

Ferric hydroxide
The minerals which contain Fe,Mg are more susceptible to this

process.
2FeS2 + 7O2 + 2H2O 2FeSO4 + 2H2SO4

Pyrite Oxygen Water Ferrous Sulphate Sulphuric acid
Carbonation
The rain water while coming down on the ground, dissolve
CO2 and forms weak carbonic acid.
H2O + CO2 H2CO3 (Weak Carbonic Acid)
H2CO3 attacks the elements Mg,Fe,Ca,Na,K present in the

minerals and convert them into bicarbonates and carbonates
which are soluble in water and are therefore carried away.
Dolomite and limestone are easily attack by rain water.
Decay of feldspar
2KAlSi3O8 + 2H2O + CO2 Al2Si3O5(OH)4 + 4SiO2 +K2CO3
Orthoclase Carbonated water Kaolinite Silica Potassium carbonate
SPHEROIDAL WEATHERING
• It is complex type of weathering observed in jointed rocks .
• It is characterized with breaking of the original rock into

spheroidal blocks.
• Both physical and chemical processes are operated in spheroidal

weathering.
• Due to thermal effects, the rock is divided into blocks and due to
chemical decomposition, the rocks get rounded at the edges.
• The net result is development of spheroidal shaped boulders.

Factors that affect weathering
1. Structure/Nature of the Rock
If the rocks are highly fracture then they are maximum

susceptible to weathering. the rocks are
massive,compact,nonfractured they do not weather easily.
2. Topography
On steep slope the weathered products are removed easily

and the fresh inner undecomposed rocks are further expose
to weathering. On flat or plain surface the weathered
products accumulated and are not removed easily and
there cover the underline undecomposed rock and as such
the intensity of weathering is reduced.
3. Climate
The intensity of weathering is different in different parts.
In humid regions(wet and hot)weathering is both physical as

well as chemical.
In the arid climate area(desert)the weathering is physical.
In cold climate (areas of high altitude and high

latitude)surface is permanently covered with ice called
permafrost condition and therefore here solution action by
water is reduced. Therefore chemical weathering is not
prominent only physical weathering dominates.
4. Vegetation
The thick vegetation affects the rock exposer and the

action of weathering is reduced to a large extent.
Biological factors
•Trees and plants
• The developing roots of growing trees and

plants,sometimes,penetrate into the cracks, widen them and
ultimately the rocks disintegrate
•Animals
•When animals and plants die, their soft parts decay and
decompose, releasing toxic products which are highly potent
in causing decomposition of rocks,perticularly reduction.
Man
Man are needed enormous quantities of construction

materials which he get by quarring.This result in the rapid
disappearance of hills and mountains. To feed minerals into
his industries and factories he resorts to extensive mining –
open cast and underground- which again breakdown of
rocks.
Importance of weathering
•Weathering produces soil which is vital for agriculture.
•Weathering makes rocks porous and permeable. This is

very important from groundwater occurrence point of view
in the case of hard rocks like granite and gneisses.
•Cheap building stones like Laterite,economic minerals

deposits like bauxite are formed due to weathering.
•Oxidation and supergene enrichment are important

phenomena in the formation of some ore deposits
particularly sulphides.
Disadvantages of weathering
•The civil engineering point of view weathering is not a

welcome process because it reduces the strength,
durability and good appearance of rocks.
•Weathered rocks unfit at the site of foundation of

important structures like dams and bridges. To make
such sites fit, either intensive grouting or digging the
weathered zones and refilling with concrete. These
increase the cost.
•Lacking of strenght,durability and good appearance, they
also become unfit to be used either in the form of
building stones or railway ballast or road metals or
concrete aggregates.
•Enormous loose soil (formed out of weathering)along

steep may turn out to be landslides, a
civil engineering hazard.
•Weathering due to sea waves result in costal erosion

which poses a difficult problem for civil engineers.
•Weathered rocks being weak are unsuitable for

tunnelling.
ACID RAIN-Ph down to 2
Residual Concentration by Weathering
Evidence from Placer Gold Deposits
REGOLITH
•The layer of loose material covering the

bedrock of the earth , comprising soil,
sand, rock fragments, volcanic ash, glacial
drift, etc. It forms deposits of huge
thickness. Weathering becomes slow
after formation of regolith.

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ENGINEERING

•These process are closely interrelated. The process of

•Due to weathering affected rocks becomes weak, less

• Such overlying weathered material is easily dislodge by

•When erosion takes place , fresh underlying surfaces of

•In any area denudation leads to weathering, weathering

•Are of two types

•i) Exogenous G.A.(epigene) –

• originates on the earth surface eg. River, wind ,glacier,

•Originate below the earth surface, work suddenly and

•Volcanoes are generally hill like structure with truncated

1. Physical or Mechanical weathering

2. Chemical weathering (Decomposition)

• In physical weathering-Break down the rock into

•This is brought about by water,generally rain water that

•Rain water dissolve CO2,CO,N2,H2,O2 etc.If this rain

•When water which percolated into cracks of rocks,

•The increasing volume will exert the tremendous

•The ultimate result will be that the wall will be broken

•This sort of disintegration action is called frost action.

•These broken fragments rolling down along the steeper

•Along the gentle slopes these fragments scatters all

ROOT SYSTEMS DOMINENT IN COLD/DRY CLIMATE

•Temp changes in arid regions. The daily variation can be

•Variation of temperature(if continues) affect the strength of the

•A rock consist of different minerals which have different

•This differential heating and cooling produces differential

•In arid and semiarid regions where difference between day

•Such daily temperature fluctuations produced physical

•Repeated expansion and contraction of the rock body breaks

•The upper layer expands and contracts more than the

Joints in a rock are a

Olivine[(Mg,Fe)2SiO4] weathers very quickly –it is not

Quartzis very resistant to chemical weathering; it is a

•Water is in the form of river,glacier,frost and sea is very

•Water directly affects the rock by way of

• CaCO3 + H2O + CO2 Ca(HCO3)2

4Fe + 3O2 2Fe2O3

Fe2O3 + H2O Fe2O3.H20

The minerals which contain Fe,Mg are more susceptible to this

2FeS2 + 7O2 + 2H2O 2FeSO4 + 2H2SO4

H2O + CO2 H2CO3 (Weak Carbonic Acid)

H2CO3 attacks the elements Mg,Fe,Ca,Na,K present in the

• It is complex type of weathering observed in jointed rocks .

• It is characterized with breaking of the original rock into

• Both physical and chemical processes are operated in spheroidal

• The net result is development of spheroidal shaped boulders.

1. Structure/Nature of the Rock

If the rocks are highly fracture then they are maximum

On steep slope the weathered products are removed easily

The intensity of weathering is different in different parts.

In humid regions(wet and hot)weathering is both physical as

In the arid climate area(desert)the weathering is physical.

In cold climate (areas of high altitude and high

The thick vegetation affects the rock exposer and the

•Trees and plants

• The developing roots of growing trees and

Man are needed enormous quantities of construction

•Weathering produces soil which is vital for agriculture.