How does freezing effect rocks?

Answer 1

Mechanical Weathering
Mechanical weathering is the disintegration of rock into smaller and smaller fragments. Frost action is an effective form of mechanical weathering. When water trickles down into fractures and pores of rock, then freezes, its volume increases by almost 10 percent. This causes outward pressure of about 30,000 pounds per square inch at -7.6 Fahrenheit. Frost action causes rocks to be broken apart into angular fragments. Idaho's extreme temperature range in the high country causes frost action to be a very important form of weathering.

Exfoliation is a form of mechanical weathering in which curved plates of rock are stripped from rock below. This results in exfoliation domes or dome-like hills and rounded boulders. Exfoliation domes occur along planes of parting called joints, which are curved more or less parallel to the surface. These joints are several inches apart near the surface but increase in distance to several feet apart with depth. One after another these layers are spalled off resulting in rounded or dome-shaped rock forms. Most people believe exfoliation is caused by instability as a result of drastically reduced pressure at the earth's surface allowing the rock to expand.

Exfoliation domes are best developed in granitic rock. Yosemite National Park has exceptional examples of exfoliation domes. Idaho has good examples in the Quiet City of Rocks near Oakley as well as in many parts of the granitic Idaho Batholith. In fact, these characteristic rounded forms make rock exposure of the granitic Idaho Batholith easy to identify.

Another type of exfoliation occurs where boulders are spheroidally weathered. These boulders are rounded by concentric shells of rock spalling off, similar to the way shells may be removed from an onion. The outer shells are formed by chemical weathering of certain minerals to a product with a greater volume than the original material. For example, feldspar in granite is converted to clay which occupies a larger volume. Igneous rocks are very susceptible to mechanical weathering.

Answer 2

other than making them cold, not really. they are already solids, so they won't change phase. if there is water inside them, it will expand, and the rock may break, but freezing won't detrimentally effect the rock otherwise.

Answer 3

Well, when it rains, water seeps into the rocks, and as the water freezes, it expands, causing rocks to break/crack etc.

=)

Answer 4

Rocks are already frozen at normal earth surface temperatures...

Answer 5

Makes them cold

Answer 6

it makes liquid inside of them, causing it to expand, then cracks the rocks.

Answer 7

It makes them very cold.

Answer 8

it makes them rather cold. Depending on what they are made of they might crack.

Answer 9

I have a great idea, stick your tongue on one and tell us the results.

Answer 10

they freeze