weathering
Elements breaking stone
Weathering is the gradual breakdown of rock, stone, or other materials through exposure to the elements—wind, rain, frost, and sun.
The process shapes landscapes over millennia and erodes buildings over decades.
Figuratively, weathering means enduring or surviving difficulty: She's weathering the crisis well.
The adjective weathered describes something worn or aged by exposure: a weathered face, weathered wood.
Copper oxidation's green crust
- tarnishOxidation discoloration on metal
- oxidationLosing electrons chemically
- bronzeCopper-tin alloy
- copperReddish-brown metallic element
surface · aging · antiquing · coloration · finish · luster · texture · greenish
Process of breaking apart
- crumblingBreaking down gradually
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
- degradationDecline in condition
- breakdownFailure or decomposition
deterioration · wearing · fading · dilapidation · disrepair · spalling · atrophy · rotting
Fundamental parts or substances
- sunlightRadiance from our star
- windAir current outdoors
- rainWater dropping from clouds
- climatePrevailing atmospheric conditions
temperature · humidity · precipitation · frost · seasons · outdoors · atmosphere · environmental
Water-induced bond cleavage
- carbonationGas dissolved in liquid
- oxidationLosing electrons chemically
- hydrationBodily fluid replenishment
- exfoliationShedding surface skin cells
spheroidal · leaching · karst · chelation · regolith · freeze-thaw
Shallow surface wound
- scouringVigorous abrasive cleaning
- sandblastingCleaning surfaces with pressurized grit
- deflationSustained decrease in prices
- downcuttingVertical channel erosion
verdigris
Copper oxidation's green crust
copper · surface · aging · antiquing · coloration · finish · luster · texture · greenish · time-worn
disintegration
Process of breaking apart
- crumblingBreaking down gradually
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
- degradationDecline in condition
breakdown · deterioration · wearing · fading · dilapidation · disrepair · spalling · atrophy · rotting · perishing
elements
Fundamental parts or substances
climate · temperature · humidity · precipitation · frost · seasons · outdoors · atmosphere · environmental · ultraviolet
hydrolysis
Water-induced bond cleavage
- carbonationGas dissolved in liquid
- oxidationLosing electrons chemically
- hydrationBodily fluid replenishment
exfoliation · spheroidal · leaching · karst · chelation · regolith · freeze-thaw
abrasion
Shallow surface wound
- scouringVigorous abrasive cleaning
- sandblastingCleaning surfaces with pressurized grit
- deflationSustained decrease in prices
stone
Solid earth fragment
- masonryBuilding with mortared blocks
- facadeDeceptive outward appearance
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
sandstone · marble · brick · mortar · monument · statue · tombstone · gargoyle · column · balustrade
- earth scienceatmosphere, earthquake, geology, volcano, crust
- geology termsfossils, rock layers, schist, core sample, gneiss
- desert geologyslot canyon, slot canyons, dunes, ergs, mesa
- surface deteriorationpeeling, chipping, crumbling, scaling, cracking
- rock featurescliff, cliff face, rock face, crag, overhang
- geochemistryisotope geochemistry, biogeochemistry, trace element, trace elements, isotopes
weatheringdeposition
Formal testimony under oath
accretion · sedimentation · accumulation · buildup · crystallization
weatheringpreservation
Maintaining something's condition
protection · conservation · restoration · freshness · pristineness
- weathering the stormEnduring a difficult period
- chemical weatheringRocks altered by reactions