Which mechanism causes increased rockfall within cirques undergoing thaw?

💡 Explanation

When thawing occurs within cirque headwalls, cryogenic weathering intensifies because freeze-thaw cycles drive crack propagation in exposed bedrock, leading to destabilization and increased rockfall events. Therefore, cryogenic weathering is the main driver, rather than salt weathering, biotic erosion or deposition exceeding transport which require different geochemical conditions to dominate.

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