Frost wedging is a form of physical weathering that involves the physical breaking of a rock. It typically occurs in areas with extremely cold conditions with sufficient rainfall. The repeated freezing and thawing of water found in the cracks of rocks (called joints) pushes the rock to the breaking point.

Frost Wedging is a mechanical or physical form of weathering. It occurs when water seeps into cracks in larger rocks and freezes. Over time, repeated episodes of frost wedging expand these cracks, weakening the rock’s structure.

Frost wedging is most effective in Canada’s climate, where for at least part of the year temperatures oscillate between warm and freezing.

Root wedging occurs when a plant, especially trees, sink root systems into existing joints and fractures. As the root grows it forces the fracture to expand. Relatively minor weathering force in rocks, but is very important for soil development.

Mechanical weathering is the process of breaking big rocks into little ones. This process usually happens near the surface of the planet. Temperature also affects the land. The cool nights and hot days always cause things to expand and contract.

Mechanical weathering includes pressure expansion, frost wedging, root wedging, and salt expansion. Chemical weathering includes carbonic acid and hydrolysis, dissolution, and oxidation.

Examples of mechanical weathering include frost and salt wedging, unloading and exfoliation, water and wind abrasion, impacts and collisions, and biological actions. All of these processes break rocks into smaller pieces without changing the physical composition of the rock.

Root wedging – On both a large and small scale, plants and fungi invade joints and the spaces between grains and wedge them apart. In cold climates, they act in concert with frost. Animal activity – creates and enlarges openings in rock.

Exfoliation. The first type of weathering is exfoliation, also called unloading, which is when the outer layers of rock break away from the rest of the rock. Keep in mind that as some rocks form, they do so in layers. The layers become compact to become a solid rock.

Ice wedging happens whenever water is able to get into small cracks in rock or other material and freeze. While freezing, the water expands and causes the crack to widen. If this happens many times (water seeping into the crack, freezing, expanding, and widening the crack), the crack will eventually break completely.

Weathering is the physical and chemical breakdown of rock at the earth’s surface. The physical breakdown of rock involves breaking rock down into smaller pieces through mechanical weathering processes. These processes include abrasion, frost wedging, pressure release (unloading), and organic activity.