The disintegration of rock as dissolved salts crystallize within pore spaces and cracks, expanding as they form and repeatedly stressing the surrounding rock until it fractures. It is especially active in arid and coastal environments where salt-laden water evaporates repeatedly within porous stone, and is a major cause of decay in desert rock art and coastal masonry.
Facts
Timescale
Timescale (category) Process Type Sources
1. Weathering (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia infobox 'Lead section' = 'Weathering is the deterioration of rocks, soils and minerals (as w...' on 'Weathering'View the Source 2. Haloclasty, Wikipedia
Lead paragraph, first sentenceQuote, Lead paragraph, first sentence
Haloclasty (also called salt weathering) is a type of physical weathering caused by the growth and thermal expansion of salt crystals.
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