Describe the chief characteristics of weathering in different climates.

The chief characteristics of weathering in different climates are:

1. Equatorial climate – High temperature and humidity throughout the year make chemical weathering the dominant process.
2. Tropical climate – Alternate wet and dry seasons promote weathering. During the wet season, iron and aluminium oxides are leached and redeposited, leading to the formation of laterite soils.
3. Dry (desert) climate – Mechanical weathering is most dominant due to the high diurnal range of temperature.
4. Temperate climate – Frost action is an important agent of mechanical weathering, while solution (chemical weathering) is common in limestone regions.
5. Polar climate – Physical weathering due to frost action is most prevalent, whereas chemical and biological weathering are negligible.