Stress- and hydraulic field-controlled weathering and erosion of granular rocks

The seemingly well-defined terms such as weathering or erosion in fact include a number of interrelated processes. In the last few years, the present team has demonstrated crucial roles of stress and hydraulic fields using simple physical experiments and numerical modelling. This approach led to the explanation of the origin of some of the enigmatic forms in sandstone. Its
applicability is, however, much broader. The submitted project is aimed at the study of weathering processes in granular rocks. Data obtained from advanced weathering experiments and field measurements will produce parameters necessary for the expansion of numerical modelling. This will allow a prediction of erosion in granular rocks. Besides, this approach will permit to describe the effect of stress field on different types of decay, and explain phenomena like granular disintegration, flaking, origin of vaults, etc. The effect of hydraulic field will be also characterized. Understanding of the effect of both fields on weathering promises a wide response across geoscientific disciplines.