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← GeographyWhich mechanism accelerates headwall erosion within a glacial cirque containing a bergschrund?
A)Cryogenic weathering from meltwater freeze-thaw cycles✓
B)Abrasion from increased basal sliding velocity
C)Dissolution by carbonic acid from atmospheric CO2
D)Plucking caused by pressurized subglacial meltwater
💡 Explanation
When meltwater penetrates the bergschrund, cryogenic weathering occurs because repeated freeze-thaw cycles widen cracks and fractures in the rock, leading to detachment of rock masses from the headwall. Therefore, cryogenic weathering accelerates erosion, rather than abrasion, dissolution, or plucking which depend on different physical processes and glacial bed conditions.
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