The quartz sand will ultimately be transported to the sea where it accumulates to form beaches . Clays will ultimately be eroded and washed out to sea. Dissolved ions will be transported by rivers to the sea, and will become part of the salts in the sea. As the rock breaks down into smaller pieces, more surface area is exposed, and the rock weathers faster. The presence of cracks or joints in the rock can allow water to penetrate and increase the rate of weathering.
Different minerals weather at different rates .
Marble and limestone, which are composed of calcium carbonate, dissolve readily in weakly acidic solutions. Silicate minerals weather in the same sequence as they crystallize. Olivine crystallizes first from a magma, and so is the first to weather. Quartz crystallizes last from magma, and so it is the most resistant to weathering. Climate influences weathering rates, particularly temperature and the availability of water .