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Salt-Crystal Growth

Salt-Crystal Growth. Salt Crystal Growth. Definition: Salt crystallization ( haloclasty ) Physical Weathering (rocks break down under environmental conditions eg . heat, pressure or ice) Involves some chemical weathering (hydration) Formation of salt crystals

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Salt-Crystal Growth

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  1. Salt-Crystal Growth

  2. Salt Crystal Growth Definition: Salt crystallization (haloclasty) Physical Weathering(rocks break down under environmental conditions eg. heat, pressure or ice) Involves some chemical weathering (hydration) Formation of salt crystals Usually occurs in dry and arid conditions like deserts (warm climates)

  3. Salt Crystal Growth • Process: =>Saline solutions enter rocks through cracks and evaporate, salt crystals left behind • Salt crystals expand when surroundings increase in temperature • Rocks receive pressure exerted by salt crystals and they disintegrate • Over time, grains of sand can be dislodged/ soil can be forced upwards and out.

  4. Salt Crystal Growth • Factors • Climate (Salt Crystal growth works best under arid and hot climates--- strong heating =>higher evaporation rate=> more salt’ll crystallize) • Environment (common among coastlines and sea walls) • Physical Conductivity (poor heat conductivity=> different rates of expansion and contraction=> surface’ll expand more=> more stress/pressure exerted

  5. Salt Crystal Growth • Locations: • Beaches (seawater is blown onto rocks by strong coastal winds, then water evaporates and salt crystallizes) • Arid areas like deserts • Atacama (South America) and Namib (South Africa)

  6. Salt Crystal Growth Landforms formed: • Tafoni (small cave-like features found in granular rock, with smooth concave-like walls) • Honeycomb weathering (salt crystals pry apart the rocks’ mineral grains, rocks become vulnerable to further weathering) Resultant processes: • Granular disintegration • Spalling (occurs in porous building materials ; dissolved salts crystallises near the surface of the rock as water evaporates)

  7. Tafoni Cave like features Concave-like walls

  8. Spalling

  9. Honeycomb Weathering

  10. More information http://www.tafoni.com Really cool, contains lots of info and detailed pictures =)

  11. Thank you =)

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