What is the process of breaking down rocks called?

The process of breaking down rocks is referred to as weathering. This process involves the physical or chemical disintegration and decomposition of rocks and minerals at or near the Earth's surface. Weathering can result from various factors, including temperature changes, water, ice, and biological activity, which collectively contribute to the gradual breakdown of rock materials into smaller particles.

In contrast, erosion refers to the movement of those weathered materials from one location to another, often through the action of wind, water, or ice. Deposition is the process where these eroded materials settle in a new location, such as in riverbeds or ocean floors. Metamorphism is a geological process that transforms existing rocks into metamorphic rocks through heat, pressure, and chemically active fluids, but it does not involve breaking down rocks in the same manner as weathering does. These processes all interact in the rock cycle, but it's weathering that specifically pertains to the breaking down of rock.