| Term: | Frost action |
| Definition: | In general, cycles of freezing and thawing of water contained in natural or man-made materials. This is especially applied to the disruptive effects of this action. In geology, two basic types of frost action are described: 1) congelifraction, the shattering or splitting of rock material; and 2) congeliturbation, the churning, heaving, and thrusting of soil material. |