Frost cracking, ice-wedges, sand, loess and rock tessellons

Frost cracking is vertical or sub-vertical fracturing of the ground along a straight line as a result of thermal contraction (Figure 2.14), or as a curved line by stretching due to dilation cracking over an expanding mound (Figure 2.15). The latter are found on the slopes of growing mounds such as pingos or frost mounds, and are discussed in Chapter 7.