In frost wedging, the process involves the repetitive cycle of freezing and thawing of water that has infiltrated cracks and fissures in rocks. When water enters these cracks and freezes, it expands as it turns into ice, exerting pressure on the surrounding rock and causing the crack to widen. When the temperature rises and the ice melts, the pressure is released, allowing the water to seep further into the newly expanded fissures. This cycle can repeat multiple times, gradually breaking down the rock and leading to significant erosion over time. The continual freezing and thawing process is particularly effective in climates where temperatures fluctuate around the freezing point, making frost wedging a common mechanism of physical weathering in such environments.
In frost wedging, a crack expands when water
melts
. When the water
melts
it can seep into new fissures in the rock.
1 answer
1 answer