frost wedging

Frost wedging is a process where water seeps into cracks in rocks, freezes, and expands. This expansion exerts pressure, widening the cracks. When the ice melts, the water may seep deeper, and the cycle repeats. Over time, this repeated freezing and thawing, a form of physical weathering, can break down rocks. This process is also referred to as "wedgework," describing the action of frost, roots, and other forces in disintegrating rocks as if by the insertion of a wedge. This phenomenon is particularly active in periglacial environments, areas near glaciers, where freeze-thaw cycles are frequent.12