Which of the following best describes the process of hydration?
a. water transports weathered sediment from one place and deposits it in another
b. water moving through soil carries away important nutrients
c. water breaks existing bonds among elements in the minerals that make up a rock
d. water bonds with elements in the minerals that make up rock, forming new substances

The correct answer is option D, that is, water bonds with elements in the minerals that make up rock, forming new substances.

Explanation:

A hydration reaction in chemistry refers to a chemical reaction in which a substance associates with water. In the process of weathering hydration takes place when a mineral captivates water to produce a novel substance. Hydration makes the rock to increase in volume that can impart tension on the rock and make it more susceptible to other kinds of weathering processes. The two prime illustrations of hydration comprise the formation of limonite from hematite and the formation of gypsum from anhydrite.

10 years is the answer