The breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on the Earth's surface in place is called:

Weathering is the breaking down, decaying or dissolving of rocks and minerals at or near the Earth's surface, in the same place where they are found (in situ). It is caused by the action of the atmosphere, water, temperature changes and living things. Weathering prepares rock material for erosion and is the first step in the formation of soil.

There are three main types of weathering:

Physical (mechanical) weathering: rocks break into smaller pieces without any change in their chemical composition. Examples include frost wedging (water freezes in cracks, expands by about 9% and splits the rock), exfoliation or "onion-peel" weathering (outer layers of rock peel off due to repeated heating and cooling, common in deserts), and salt crystal growth.

Chemical weathering: the minerals in the rock are changed or dissolved by chemical reactions. Examples include solution (limestone dissolving in rain water containing carbon dioxide, which forms caves and karst landscapes), oxidation (iron in rocks rusting, giving a red colour), hydration and carbonation. Chemical weathering is fastest in hot, humid climates.

Biological weathering: plants and animals break down rocks. Plant roots grow into cracks and widen them, burrowing animals expose rocks, and lichens produce acids that dissolve rock surfaces.

Weathering is different from erosion. Weathering breaks rocks down in place, while erosion is the removal and transport of the broken material by agents such as running water, wind, glaciers, waves and gravity. The material is later laid down elsewhere, which is called deposition. Weathering, erosion and deposition together shape the landforms of the Earth.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Erosion is the removal and transport of weathered material by moving agents.
• ✗Deposition is the laying down of transported material.
• ✗Lithification is the process that turns loose sediments into sedimentary rock.