| Term: | Frost shattering |
| Definition: | The mechanical disintegration of rock by the pressure of the freezing of water in pores and along grain boundaries. Freezing of the water drawn between the grains by various particle surface forces exerts sufficient differential pressure to loosen and separate the grains. Frost Shattering may be the dominant weathering process in high mountain regions, particularly in areas with frequent Freeze-Thaw Cycles and heavily jointed and weak rock types. |