This is the disintegration or decay of rocks in their original place at or close to the ground surface.
It's largely caused by elements of the weather such as rainfall, and changes in ground temperature.
There are three types of weathering: Mechanical Weathering (Physical Weathering)
Involves the disintegration of rocks without any chemical changes taking place.
Often results in piles of angular fragments called scree, found at the foot of bare, rocky outcrops.
E.g. freeze-thaw weathering, which involves the action of water as it freezes and thaws in a crack or hole in the rock.
This is particularly effective if the rock is porous and permeable
E.g. Autumn 2000 was particularly wet, and chalk rock became saturated, and weakened by frost in late winter, which led to dramatic rockfalls along the south coast of England.
Chemical Weathering
A chemical change occurs when weathering takes place.
Rainwater, being slightly acidic, can slowly dissolve certain rocks and minerals.
Those minerals or particles unaffected by chemical weathering are usually left as a fine clay deposit.
Biological Weathering
This involves the actions of flora and fauna.
Plant roots are effective at growing and expanding in cracks in rocks.
Rabbit can also be effective at burrowing into weak rocks like sands.
Mass Movement
The downhill movement of material under the influence of gravity
E.g. in 1993, 60m of cliff slid onto the beach near Scarborough in North Yorkshire, taking with it part of the Holbeck Hall Hotel.
There are 4 types:
Rockfall
Fragments of rock break away from the cliff face, often due to freeze-thaw weathering.
Landslide
Blocks of rock slide downhill.
Mudflow
Saturated soil and weak rock flows down a slope
Rotational Slip
Slump of weak rock and saturated soil along a curved surface.
Rockfall: The collapse of a cliff face or the fall of individual rocks from a cliff.