Mechanical Weathering

5 Agents

• Animal Actions
• Freezing and Thawing                    
• Plant Growth             
• Release of Pressure           
• Abrasion

Animal Actions

• Animals that burrow in the ground loosen and break apart rocks in the soil
• the animals will eventually create deep holes in the ground
• Some animals are- moles, gophers, prairie dogs, and some insects

Freezing and Thawing

• when water freezes in a crack of a rock, the crack expands
• frost wedging is specifically what this process is called  
• this process causes sidewalks and potholes in streets

Plant Growth

• roots enter cracks in rocks, and grow
• the roots force he cracks to break the rock
• small plants do this
• This process can cause damage and also great feature

Release of Pressure

• erosion has a big part of the ruins of cracked rocks
• erosion removes material, and pressure on the rock has decreased
• this causes the rock to crack and almost peel off

Abrasion

• rock particles wear away rocks by being carried through wind, water, or ice
• it's like sandpaper; or something slides by or together
• the process can create wonderful features as well
• breaks rock off