What will happen to rocks when a freeze thaw cycle of water repeats from time to time?
Freeze-thaw occurs when water continually seeps into cracks, freezes and expands, eventually breaking the rock apart. Exfoliation occurs as cracks develop parallel to the land surface a consequence of the reduction in pressure during uplift and erosion. Freeze thaw weathering occurs when water seeps into cracks in rocks or the pores between soil particles and freezes. The expansion of the water creates high pressures, which can widen the cracks or force apart the soil particles. During the day, water collects in cracks in the rocks. At night the temperature drops and the water freezes and expands. This causes cracks to develop in the rock. Mechanical weathering is the physical breaking down of rocks into small pieces called regolith; it is physical weathering as it does not change the rock chemically. Freeze-Thaw-Action is an example of mechanical weathering.
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