Question: A scientist was examining a large boulder that was covered with lichens (a combination of fungi and algae). He chipped a piece of the rock and placed it under a microscope. He observed that the surface of the rock was breaking down underneath the lichen. Which was the scientist most likely observing?

  Options: 
 A. the interaction between abiotic factors
 B. the effects of chemical weathering
 C. the process of deposition
 D. the effects of abrasion
Answer: B