Thermoelastic stresses with reference to scale and morphology of the Earth's surface

The variability of thermoelastic stresses at the Earth's surface is investi gated on different scales with a three-dimensional numerical model. Energy transfer by heat conduction and radiation of sun, atmosphere and Earth's su rface is regarded. It is shown that thermoelastic stresses are considerably high, so that they are able to assist faulting and thus force weathering o f rocks. Their morphological distribution strongly depends on the spatial s cale of the relief; on large scales it is governed by the temperature distr ibution, on small scales (below a few meters) the surface morphology plays the dominant part.