Chemical Weathering and Earth's Internal Heat
Chemical weathering actually changes the mineral composition of rocks through chemical reactions. This happens in response to Earth's surface conditions: low pressure, low temperature, and the presence of water and oxygen.
Three key chemical weathering processes include dissolution (where minerals like halite and calcite dissolve in water, forming features like stalactites), hydrolysis (when minerals react with water to form clay), and oxidation (when oxygen reacts with minerals, causing decomposition—like rusting).
Earth's interior is surprisingly hot—about 1000°C at the crust's base, 3500°C at the mantle's base, and an estimated 6000°C at Earth's center! This heat comes from two main sources: primordial heat (formed during Earth's early formation through impacts and accretion) and radioactive heat (generated by the decay of isotopes like K40, Th232, U235, and U238).
💡 Think of Earth like a giant onion with layers of different temperatures—the deeper you go, the hotter it gets!