Water is the most important agent of chemical weathering. Two other important agents of chemical weathering are carbon dioxide and oxygen.

Where does it occur? These chemical processes need water, and occur more rapidly at higher temperature, so warm, damp climates are best. Chemical weathering (especially hydrolysis and oxidation) is the first stage in the production of soils.

The causes of chemical weathering are chemical reactions such as oxidation, carbonation, hydrolysis, and acid-base reactions.

A cold, dry climate will produce the lowest rate of weathering. A warm, wet climate will produce the highest rate of weathering. The warmer a climate is, the more types of vegetation it will have and the greater the rate of biological weathering.

There are four main types of weathering. These are freeze-thaw, onion skin (exfoliation), chemical and biological weathering. Most rocks are very hard.

With chemical weathering of rock, we see a chemical reaction happening between the minerals found in the rock and rainwater. The most common example of hydrolysis is feldspar, which can be found in granite changing to clay. When it rains, water seeps down into the ground and comes in contact with granite rocks.

Physical, or mechanical, weathering happens when rock is broken through the force of another substance on the rock such as ice, running water, wind, rapid heating/cooling, or plant growth. Chemical weathering occurs when reactions between rock and another substance dissolve the rock, causing parts of it to fall away.

Physical and Chemical Weathering both also have similarities too. Here are a few of them. They both made rocks and other sediments have cracks in them. Physical and Chemical Weathering made sediments into soil.

Chemical weathering does not cause physical damage to rock but rather is a reaction between the chemical composition of the rock and outside chemicals. Chemical weathering can make a rock more vulnerable to physical weathering forces. Iron in rocks can react with oxygen to form iron oxide, or rust.

Altering Mineral Structure Chemical weathering causes the decomposition, dissolving and loosening of rocks. Chemical reactions destroy the bonds that hold the rocks together. This causes them to break into small pieces.

Chemical weathering is the weakening and subsequent disintegration of rock by chemical reactions. These reactions include oxidation, hydrolysis, and carbonation. These processes either form or destroy minerals, thus altering the nature of the rock’s mineral composition.