Breaking down or fragmenting in a hidden or concealed manner, often used in geology to describe weathering processes that occur internally within rock without obvious external damage.
From Greek 'kryptos' (hidden) + 'klastos' (broken), coined in the 19th century to describe geological processes where rock deterioration happens beneath the surface before becoming visible.
This word captures something geologists see all the time but most people never notice—rocks can be quietly falling apart on the inside while looking perfectly fine on the outside, like how concrete gets damaged by freeze-thaw cycles long before cracks show up.
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