In the weathering process of pressure-release fracturing, ____.
A) salts crystallize in cracks, enlarging fractures
B) bedrock minerals decompose to clay
C) bedrock expands and fractures when the overlying rock erodes away
D) bedrock dissolves and ground water carries the dissolved ions away

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In pressure-release fracturing, bedrock expands and fractures when the overlying rock erodes away. As the pressure from the overlying rock decreases due to erosion, the bedrock expands and fractures along existing weaknesses, such as mineral grains or joints, resulting in large-scale fractures. This process is also known as unloading or exfoliation. Salts crystallizing in cracks and bedrock minerals decomposing to clay are examples of other types of weathering processes. Bedrock dissolution and ion transport by groundwater is an example of chemical weathering.

In the Weathering Process of Pressure-Release Fracturing, ____