Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) Practice Test 2025 – Comprehensive All-in-One Preparation Guide for Exam Success

Frost wedging refers to the cycling of freezing and thawing water in rock fractures. This process occurs when water seeps into cracks in rocks. When the temperature drops, the water freezes and expands, exerting pressure on the surrounding rock. As the ice thaws, the water contracts, and this cycle repeats itself. Over time, the repeated expansion and contraction can cause the cracks to widen and eventually lead to the physical breaking apart of the rock. This is a common form of weathering, significantly contributing to landscape changes in regions with seasonal temperature variations.

The other options are not relevant to the definition of frost wedging. Melting snow refers to the change in state of ice due to temperature increase, the movement of soil due to plant growth pertains to biological processes such as root expansion, and the effect of erosion caused by water flow involves different mechanisms of sediment transport rather than the freeze-thaw cycle at work in frost wedging.