A new weathering form in sandstone

A recently published paper in Earth-Science Reviews (IF 7.051), which was also contributed by scientists of the Institute of Geology (Michal Filippi and Jiří Adamovič), presents a newly recognized weathering form termed arcades. The arcades develop on the surface of sandstones but also arkoses, granites and volcanosedimentary rocks as a consequence of “stress shadows” developed along planar discontinuities (i.e., bedding planes, joints, etc.). Using physical and numerical modelling, this paper evidences that it is a principal feature of weathering of granular rocks, which explains also the origin of other widely known geomorphic forms of various sizes – such as rock pillars, some rock shelters or ledges.