Question

Name three different ways in which water causes weathering of rocks.

Answer 1

Weathering : It is the process by which rocks break down into smaller pieces over thousands of years. The factors causing weathering are wind, water, temperature changes, and living things.

Three different ways of weathering by water are:

1. Flowing water: Water moves along the mountain slopes, and loose rocks get carried away with it. The moving rocks hit other rocks on the way. The rocks thus break into small pieces.
2. Glaciers : The gigantic masses of frozen water at the mountain peaks can sometimes slide. As they move along the slopes, they can loosen and break huge rocks into small pieces.
3. Rainwater : Rainwater is trapped inside small cracks and enters deep in rocks. In cold regions, this water freezes. Water, as we know, expands upon freezing, so the cracks become wider, eventually leading to the rock breaking.