erosion
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The process of water seeping or flowing into rocks is called infiltration. This occurs as water moves through the pores and cracks in the rock, eventually becoming groundwater.
Rain and running water can enlarge existing cracks in rocks through its erosive powers. Freezing water in a rock crack will expand, causing additional fracture.
Rainwater in polluted areas contains acidic compounds that can react with the minerals in rocks, causing them to break down more rapidly through a process known as chemical weathering. This acidic rainwater accelerates the dissolution of mineral grains in the rock, leading to faster weathering rates compared to areas with cleaner rainwater.
Artesian springs form where pressurized water flows through cracks in cap rock.
The magma that squeezes into vertical cracks between rocks and then hardens is called a dike. Dikes are tabular bodies of igneous rock that cut across the existing rock layers.