The breaking or shattering of rock caused by repeated freezing and thawing of water in cracks.
From Latin 'congel-' (to freeze) combined with 'fractio' (breaking). This geological term emerged in the 19th century to describe a specific weathering process where water expands as it freezes in rock crevices, eventually cracking the rock apart.
Congelifraction is one of nature's most powerful tools—it can split massive boulders without dynamite, just through repeated winter freeze-thaw cycles. This process is why potholes form in winter roads and why mountains crumble over millennia.
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