Which one among the following processes is NOT part of chemical weathering ?
Solution
Hydration
Reduction
Thawing
Answer is Wrong!
Answer is Right!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2024
– Solution: Minerals dissolving in water (e.g., salts, limestone in acidic water).
– Hydration: Minerals absorbing water molecules into their structure (e.g., anhydrite to gypsum).
– Reduction: Gaining electrons; often involves changes in oxidation states of elements like iron, common in anaerobic environments.
– Thawing: The physical change of state from solid (ice) to liquid (water). Freeze-thaw weathering occurs because water expands when it freezes in cracks, exerting pressure that widens the cracks. Thawing allows more water to enter, continuing the cycle, but it is the freezing/expansion that causes mechanical breakdown, not a chemical change during thawing.