The process of soil or rock becoming frozen to another surface, typically occurring in permafrost regions where water freezes and bonds materials together.
From the prefix 'ad-' (Latin for 'to' or 'at') combined with 'freezing' (from Old English 'freosan'). The prefix indicates the adhesive nature of the freezing process, where one material attaches to another through ice formation.
Adfreezing is a huge problem for buildings and infrastructure in Alaska and Siberia—it's why roads buckle and foundations crack in permafrost zones. Engineers have to design special pilings that can slide as the ground repeatedly freezes and thaws!
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