Which statement best explains the actual nature of weathering?

Correct answer: It can be both physical breakdown and chemical alteration

The direct answer is C: weathering can be both physical breakdown and chemical alteration. Weathering is the weakening, breaking, or changing of rocks in the place where they are found. It does not mean that the material must be carried away. Physical weathering breaks a rock into smaller pieces without changing its basic chemical composition. Chemical weathering changes the minerals themselves, for example when water reacts with feldspar. Biological activity, such as plant roots entering cracks, can also contribute. The reasoning is: rocks are exposed at the surface; temperature, water, ice, salts, chemicals, and organisms act on them; they may crack, crumble, or chemically transform. Option A is wrong because transport is erosion, not weathering. Weathering can prepare material for transport, but the two processes are not identical. Option B is wrong because weathering occurs on land and in many environments, not only through sea waves. Option C is correct because it includes both major forms: physical disintegration and chemical decomposition. Option D is wrong because weathering is a natural process, although human activities can sometimes accelerate it. The exam cue is: weathering acts in place; erosion transports the weathered material.