Which type of soil absorbs more water and temperature change chemical or mechanical weathering?
Clay soil has high water holding capacity. This is because the space between clay soil particles is higher making them possess more retention capacity. These soils can absorb more water. Temperature changes can also contribute to mechanical weathering in a process as thermal stress. Changes in temperature cause rock to expand and contract. As this happens over and over again, the structure of the rock weakens. Over time, it crumbles. Typically, both chemical and mechanical weathering simultaneously plays a role in breaking rocks down into smaller sediments.
Temperature changes can also contribute to mechanical weathering in a process called thermal stress. Changes in temperature cause rock to expand and contract. As this happens over and over again, the structure of the rock weakens. Over time, it crumbles and a warmer Earth increases the rate of chemical weathering both by causing more rainfall and by speeding up the chemical reactions between rainwater and rock. Acid rain is produced when burning fossil fuels react with water vapor in clouds, forming acid and causing rapid chemical weathering. Physical weathering involves the breakdown of rocks into smaller fragments through processes such as expansion and contraction, mainly due to temperature changes. Two types of physical breakdown are freeze-thaw weathering and thermal fracturing. Pressure release can also cause weathering without temperature change. 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. Water molecules hold more tightly to the fine particles of a clay soil than to coarser particles of sandy soil, so clays generally hold more water. Loam Soil is best and a combination of sand, silt, and clay particles, this soil absorbs water readily and is able to store it for use by plants. Loam absorbs water at a rate between 1/4 and 2 inches per hour. Sandy Soil, because it has very large spaces, absorbs water at a rate of more than 2 inches per hour. Clay soil is classified as a heavy soil and one of the most difficult garden soils. Due to its compact nature, clay is slow to absorb water and absorbs the least amount of water of all six soil types.
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