chemical weathering

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noun Geology.

any of the various weathering processes that cause exposed rock to undergo chemical decomposition, changing the chemical and mineralogical composition of the rock: Oxygen and acids are agents in chemical weathering.

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Compare mechanical weathering.

Origin of chemical weathering

First recorded in 1870–75

Words nearby chemical weathering

chemical reaction, chemical sensitivity, chemical toilet, chemical warfare, chemical weapon, chemical weathering, chemico-, chemigraphy, chemiluminescence, chemin de fer, chemiosmosis

How to use chemical weathering in a sentence

Runaway chemical weathering is a really provocative hypothesis to explain what happened to Mars’s water.
Mars’s lost water may be buried beneath the planet’s crust|Neel Patel|March 16, 2021|MIT Technology Review
There was Carol White, a ho-hum homemaker who finds herself besieged by multiple chemical sensitivity in Safe.
Julianne Moore Is Oscar Gold in ‘Still Alice’|Marlow Stern|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Methane is a familiar chemical, whether you know it by that name or not.
Methane on Mars: Life or Just Gas?|Matthew R. Francis|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
However, their presence shows that Mars could have a more complex and evolving chemical story.
Methane on Mars: Life or Just Gas?|Matthew R. Francis|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Lakes on Titan are full of methane, and the chemical is a major component of the giant planets Jupiter, Neptune, and so forth.
Methane on Mars: Life or Just Gas?|Matthew R. Francis|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Methane (chemical formula CH4) is one of the simplest hydrocarbons, which literally means “containing hydrogen and carbon.”
Methane on Mars: Life or Just Gas?|Matthew R. Francis|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Its chemical composition is unknown, but it is nitrogenous, and is believed to be produced by the decomposition of gluten.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson
It has been obtained for chemical examination, principally from peas and beans, and from the almond and oats.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson
Of its more strictly chemical effects, the most important is probably that which it produces on the temperature of the soil.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson
No sooner was the spectroscope invented than astronomers hastened by its aid to explore the chemical constitution of the sun.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
It is likely that in the classic days of Greece men began to make simple experiments of a chemical nature.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler