To determine which city's rocks are most likely to experience frost wedging, let's break down the information given and understand the requirements for frost wedging.
Frost wedging occurs when water seeps into cracks in rocks during the warmer part of the day and then freezes and expands during the colder part of the night. This process is most effective in environments where:
- Temperatures fluctuate around the freezing point (0°C).
- The climate is wet, ensuring the presence of water that can seep into the rocks.
Let's analyze each city:
- City A:
- Climate: Dry
- Day Temperature: -11°C
- Night Temperature: -30°C
- Analysis: The temperatures are consistently below freezing, which means any water present would already be frozen and wouldn't cause the freeze-thaw cycle necessary for frost wedging.
- City B:
- Climate: Wet
- Day Temperature: 5°C
- Night Temperature: -4°C
- Analysis: The day temperature is above freezing, allowing water to seep into cracks, while the night temperature is below freezing, which would cause the water to freeze and expand. The wet climate ensures a continuous presence of water. Thus, these conditions are ideal for frost wedging.
- City C:
- Climate: Wet
- Day Temperature: 14°C
- Night Temperature: 6°C
- Analysis: Both temperatures are well above freezing, so there wouldn't be any freeze-thaw cycle, making frost wedging unlikely.
- City D:
- Climate: Dry
- Day Temperature: 26°C
- Night Temperature: 17°C
- Analysis: The temperatures are much higher than freezing, and the climate is dry, so there is a lack of water and no freeze-thaw cycle, which are not conducive to frost wedging.
Based on the analysis, the correct choice is:
B. City B because it is a wet region and the temperature fluctuates around the freezing point.
