Granite:

Tropical areas
Acidulated water enters the partially weathered rock through the rock joints
which are being broken up, and selectively attacks the rock materials. Feldspar is
broken down through hydrolysis and mica is broken down through oxidation. The
rocks begin to break down into platy fragments called gruss. The weathering of
granite is not uniform it takes place selectively at rock joints. Joint bounded
blocks will be detached from the main bedrock and slowly weather inwards. As
the joints widen further, the ingress of acidulated water will cause the next layer
to be weathered. The top most layer consists of spheroidal corestones
surrounded by gruss. Acidulated water continues its ingress into unweathered
bedrock as joints open up even further, causing there to be deeply weathered
layers in the ground.
Zone 1: Residual debris eg. Kaolinite, quartz from weathering
Zone 2: Spheroidal corestones in residual debris and gruss
Zone 3: Gruss + rectangular corestones
Zone 4: Partially weathered granite, from penetration and opening up of joints
*Whatever landform that is present is covered by gruss that will not be removed
by erosion due to vegetation.
Temperate areas
Tors are small masses of block jointed rock, usually about 4 to 20 m high /
rounded or angular masses of rock divided by quite evenly spaced vertical and
horizontal joints
Deep weathering theory: Square tors that look round
Glacial periods:
Differential jointing system in the granite result in closely spaced and widely
spaced joints. The closely spaced joints will be weathered more efficiently than
the widely spaced joints. Chemical weathering attacks the rocks at the joints and
widens them. Feldspar is removed through hydrolysis and mica undergoes
oxidation. Quartz grains remain unaltered. Solid blocks of corestones can be
rounded through time as acidulated water attacks the angular sides of the rocks.
Due to abundant vegetation, the roots hold the regolith in situ which promotes
the ingress of acidulated water, increasing the depth of the weathered profile.
Interglacial periods:
The deep weathering process slows down as temperatures drop and the climate
become dry. Vegetation is stripped away, allowing erosion to occur on the
surface, removing the regolith.

After several cycles of glacial and interglacial periods, the corestones will be
exposed 5 10 metres above the surface, lying on the basal surface of
weathering
Periglaciation: Round tors that look square
During periglaciation, existing soil was removed by solifluction, resulting in
granite being exposed to the surface for physical weathering to take place. Frost
shattering will be the most common form of physical weathering water enters
the joints, freezes and expands, subsequently widening the joints. This will be
most obvious in places where the joints are concentrated while widely jointed
portions are more resistance. The rock structure weakens, causing angular blocks
to break off from the main structure and carried downslope by solifluction to form
clitter slops.
Seasonally humid tropics
Inselbergs: ruware (2 5 x 2 5) bornhardt (300) blocky inselbergs (300) castle
koppies (20 x 4)
Inselbergs are steep sided and highly distinctive residual hills that rises abruptly
over the surrounding plain.
Ruware -> bornhardt (sheet joints/tafoni)/blocky inselbergs -> castle koppies
Exhumation theory (Bornhardt smooth, convex surfaces)
During pluvial periods, chemical weathering is dominant due to presence of
moisture and relatively high temperatures. Granite undergoes deep weathering,
with feldspar components being reduced to potassium hydroxide and kaolinite
and mica reduced to crumbly oxide grains. The depth of weathering in a single
structure of granite is different due to joint irregularities in granite. Closely
jointed areas will be more efficiently weathered while less jointed portions are
less resistant. As such, there will be a domical rise in the basal surface of
weathering due to uneven weathering processes. Because of presence of
vegetation, the regolith is held in place.
During interpluvial periods, vegetation becomes spares and the regolith is
stripped away by erosional processes. This exposes the domical rise in basal
surface of weathering as ruwares. Over time, ruwares get progressively higher.
Ruwares given their domed nature shed water quickly while the surrounding plain
gets increments of water. This encourages an even more undulating basal
surface of weathering that produces a taller inselberg when the regolith has been
stripped away the next intepluvial period.
Pediplanation theory (Blocky inselbergs complex of rectangular joints which
influence weathering)
Water flowing on the land surface erodes lines of weaknesses and widens and
deepens them. Over time, valleys and interfluves are formed. The valleys

undergo parallel scarp retreat as river erosion transport materials from the base
of the slope away. The valley floors are eroded to become pediplains, and the
interfluves are reduced in height and width through weathering and erosion to
form blocky inselbergs.
Castle koppies hills formed from a jumbled mass of fracture bounded granite
blocks
Their formation results from the weathering of sheet joints and marginal attack.
Sheet joints that formed through dilation can be weathered and large sheet
blocks can be loosened on the surface and eventually fall off the crest of the
inselberg to give a mass of angular blocks.