Question

Distinguish between the following :
Granular Disintegration and Block Disintegration.

Answer 1

Granular Disintegration; The temperature changes during summer and winter lead to expansion, due to heating and contraction, due to cooling. Different minerals present in the rocks may have different rates of expansion and contraction. For example, dark coloured minerals will absorb more heat and expand to a greater extent than light coloured minerals. Such alternating expansion and contraction between day and night lead to a break up of the rock into different minerals. This type of weathering is called granular disintegration.
Block Disintegration: A rock may split along joints or fissures by the repeated freezing of water in cracks or other openings because water expands nearly one-tenth of its volume when it freezes. It is followed by melting during the daytime repeatedly. This type of weathering is called block disintegration because the rock is split into rectangular block along the joints.