Geography GCSE
Freeze-thaw Weathering
What Freeze-thaw Weathering means in Geography GCSE, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Freeze-thaw Weathering
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
A physical weathering process where water enters cracks in rock, freezes and expands (by 9%), widening the crack until the rock shatters.
The physical breakdown of rock caused by the repeated freezing (expansion) and thawing (contraction) of water in cracks.
A mechanical weathering process where water freezes in rock cracks, expands, and eventually shatters the rock.
Topics that use Freeze-thaw Weathering
- A number of physical and human processes work together to create distinct UK landscapes (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- A variety of physical processes interact to shape glaciated upland landscapes (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Distinctive glaciated upland landscapes are the outcome of the interaction between physical and human processes (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- Abrasion
- Plucking
- Relict landscape
- Igneous Rock
- Rotational slip
- Sedimentary Rock
- Afforestation
- Cultural Landscape
Using Freeze-thaw Weathering in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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