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Subjects · Leaving Cert Geography

Leaving Cert Geography: Weathering

How often Weathering comes up on the Geography papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 9 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

OL Asked on 9 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

June 2028 is the first exam on the new Geography course. These come from the 2016–2026 papers, so read them as a guide.

Weathering, Higher Level(6 marks)

Quick ones on Weathering.

(a)Angular rock fragments that collect at the foot of a cliff after frost action?
  1. Till
  2. Scree
  3. Alluvium
(b)Breakdown of rock in place, with no movement of the material?
  1. Deposition
  2. Erosion
  3. Weathering
(c)Chemical weathering in which iron-rich rock reacts with oxygen and reddens?
  1. Oxidation
  2. Frost action
  3. Carbonation
Show the answers

(a) Scree

(b) Weathering

(c) Oxidation

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Weathering.

Higher Level

Asked on 9 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q2A, Q3C
2025SQ3, Q2C
2024SQ2
2023Q2C
2022Q3B
2021SQ3
2019Not asked
2018Q1A, Q2B
2017SQ4, Q2B
2016Q1C

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 9 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Not asked
2025Q3B
2024SQ4
2023SQ4, Q2B
2022SQ3, Q3B
2021SQ4, Q3A
2019Q3B
2018SQ3
2017Q3A
2016SQ8, Q2C

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Weathering questions

Weathering, 2 marks

Type of weathering caused by water freezing and thawing in cracks in rock?

  1. Carbonation
  2. Oxidation
  3. Freeze-thaw action
Show the answer

Freeze-thaw action

Water expands by about a tenth when it freezes, so repeated freezing and melting widens the crack until the rock splits apart.

Weathering, 2 marks

Term for the breakdown of rock in the place where it lies?

  1. Transport
  2. Weathering
  3. Erosion
Show the answer

Weathering

Weathering breaks rock down on the spot, while erosion wears away and removes material using a moving agent such as a river or ice.

Weathering, 3 marks

Type of weathering in which rainwater slowly dissolves limestone?

  1. Carbonation
  2. Freeze-thaw action
  3. Exfoliation
Show the answer

Carbonation

Rain takes in carbon dioxide from the air to form a weak carbonic acid, which slowly dissolves the calcium carbonate in the limestone.

Other Geography topics

All of Leaving Cert Geography