Which one among the following processes is NOT part of chemical weathering ?

Weathering is the disintegration or decomposition of rocks in situ. It is broadly classified into physical, chemical, and biological processes. Chemical weathering involves the transformation of rock-forming minerals into new chemical combinations through reactions with water and air.

• Solution: The process where minerals dissolve in water or weak acids.
• Hydration: The chemical addition of water to a mineral, changing its structure (e.g., turning Anhydrite into Gypsum).
• Reduction: A chemical process occurring in oxygen-poor environments, often affecting iron-bearing minerals.

Thawing is part of the freeze-thaw cycle, which is a form of physical (mechanical) weathering. It involves the melting of ice within rock crevices. The repeated expansion of water upon freezing and its subsequent contraction during thawing exerts mechanical pressure that breaks the rock apart physically without changing its chemical composition.