how does the process of frost wedging contribute to the weathering of rock
Frost weathering
The traditional explanation for frost weathering was volumetric expansion of freezing water . When water freezes to ice , its volume increases by nine percent . Under specific circumstances , this expansion is able to displace or fracture rock . At a temperature of - 22 ° C , ice growth is known to be able to generate pressures of up to 207 MPa , more than enough to fracture any rock . For frost weathering to occur by volumetric expansion , the rock must have almost no air that can be compressed to compensate for the expansion of ice , which means it has to be water - saturated and frozen quickly from all sides so that the water does not migrate away and the pressure is exerted on the rock . These conditions are considered unusual , restricting it to a process of importance within a few centimeters of a rock 's surface and on larger existing water - filled joints in a process called ice wedging . 
The traditional explanation for frost weathering was volumetric expansion of freezing water . When water freezes to ice , its volume increases by nine percent . Under specific circumstances , this expansion is able to displace or fracture rock . At a temperature of - 22 ° C , ice growth is known to be able to generate pressures of up to 207 MPa , more than enough to fracture any rock . For frost weathering to occur by volumetric expansion , the rock must have almost no air that can be compressed to compensate for the expansion of ice , which means it has to be water - saturated and frozen quickly from all sides so that the water does not migrate away and the pressure is exerted on the rock . These conditions are considered unusual , restricting it to a process of importance within a few centimeters of a rock 's surface and on larger existing water - filled joints in a process called ice wedging .
The traditional explanation for frost weathering was volumetric expansion of freezing water . Under specific circumstances , this expansion is able to displace or fracture rock .At a temperature of - 22 ° C , ice growth is known to be able to generate pressures of up to 207 MPa , more than enough to fracture any rock . For frost weathering to occur by volumetric expansion , the rock must have almost no air that can be compressed to compensate for the expansion of ice , which means it has to be water - saturated and frozen quickly from all sides so that the water does not migrate away and the pressure is exerted on the rock .
The traditional explanation for frost weathering was volumetric expansion of freezing water . Under specific circumstances , this expansion is able to displace or fracture rock . At a temperature of - 22 ° C , ice growth is known to be able to generate pressures of up to 207 MPa , more than enough to fracture any rock . For frost weathering to occur by volumetric expansion , the rock must have almost no air that can be compressed to compensate for the expansion of ice , which means it has to be water - saturated and frozen quickly from all sides so that the water does not migrate away and the pressure is exerted on the rock .
The traditional explanation for frost weathering was volumetric expansion of freezing water. This expansion is able to displace or fracture rock. Ice growth is known to be able to generate pressures of up to 207 MPa, more than enough to fracture any rock. For frost weathering to occur it has to be water saturated and frozen quickly from all sides so that the water does not migrate away and the pressure is exerted on the rock.
The traditional explanation for frost weathering was volumetric expansion of freezing water . Under specific circumstances , this expansion is able to displace or fracture rock . At a temperature of - 22 ° C , ice growth is known to be able to generate pressures of up to 207 MPa , more than enough to fracture any rock . For frost weathering to occur by volumetric expansion , the rock must have almost no air that can be compressed to compensate for the expansion of ice , which means it has to be water - saturated and frozen quickly from all sides so that the water does not migrate away and the pressure is exerted on the rock .