Cryogenic weathering of granite, northern Victoria land, Antarctica

Citation
Hm. French et M. Guglielmin, Cryogenic weathering of granite, northern Victoria land, Antarctica, PERMAFR P P, 11(4), 2000, pp. 305-314
Citations number
37
Categorie Soggetti
Earth Sciences
Journal title
PERMAFROST AND PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES
ISSN journal
10456740 → ACNP
Volume
11
Issue
4
Year of publication
2000
Pages
305 - 314
Database
ISI
SICI code
1045-6740(200010/12)11:4<305:CWOGNV>2.0.ZU;2-M
Abstract
Cavernous weathering phenomena ('tagoni') are well developed on the graniti c and gneissic metasedimentary rock of the Northern Foothills region of Ant arctica. Thin sections of weathered bedrock indicate that physical disinteg ration is associated with the preferential micro-fracturing of quartz miner als. The enhanced susceptibility of quartz to fracture under cryogenic cond itions, especially when salts lower the freezing temperature, is thought to explain why this unusual type of granite weathering is Especially well dev eloped in extremely cold and arid polar deserts. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wi ley & Sons, Ltd.