How Is Weathering Caused by Rain?

Frozen Water

• When water freezes, it expands nearly 10 percent. After rain, water seeps deep into the cracks and crevasses of rocks. If the water remains in the rock's cracks when it freezes, the rock will grow and expand with the water. This can cause breakage and fragmentation over time.

Carbonic Acid

• When carbon dioxide and rainwater are mixed in soil, carbonic acid is created. Carbonic acid depletes minerals in the rocks, slowly dissolving them. Rock is basically decomposed and becomes a new water soluble object.

Hydrolysis

• Hydrolysis is a process in which minerals are broken up by water. Hydrogen ions are activated and attack parts of the rock. This activity decomposes the rock's minerals. Silicates are the most common class of minerals, and they are also the most easily affected by this process.