Would you expect a fractured granite boulder to weather more quickly if it was in Ottawa, Canada or in Phoenix, Arizona? Why?Geology question- Weather (fractured granite boulder)?
Possible weathering mechanisms:
Ottawa:
Chemical weathering (precipitation)
Frost disintegration (expansion of water when freezing in cracks)
Thermal weathering (expansion en contraction with temperature changes)
Biological weathering (plants breaking down rock)
Phoenix:
Thermal weathering (expansion en contraction with temperature changes)
Though the thermal weathering will be more severe in Phoenix, more and more diverse processes will weather the boulder in Ottawa. Frost disintegration can be especially devastating.Geology question- Weather (fractured granite boulder)?
Canada as granite is most susceptible to freeze/thaw weathering: water in cracks expands as it turns into ice, expanding cracks and eventually causing spalling of outer surface.Geology question- Weather (fractured granite boulder)?
Glacier vs. dry wind, which does the most damage. Ottawa, Canada.
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