New research published today in the journal Science Advances challenges the conventional view of how a vital and life-sustaining feature of weathered rock is created. Porosity, the void space found in rock, was traditionally thought to be formed as water flowed through, chemically dissolving minerals. Now, researchers have found physical weathering, such as tree root wedging or ice cracking, bear a larger responsibility for creating porosity than previously thought. These pores, or empty spaces, are crucial reservoirs for water and life-sustaining nutrients within rocks.
Click here for original story, Geophysicists challenge conventional view of the cause of porosity in weathered rock
Source: Phys.org