Which outcome reduces long-term structural integrity when early Mesopotamian ziggurats experience repeated freeze-thaw cycles?

💡 Explanation

When ziggurats experience freeze-thaw cycles, water permeates the porous brickwork and undergoes phase transition, crystalizing into ice. Volume expansion during ice formation exerts pressure causing wedging which fractures the brick. Therefore wedging from crystal expansion ensues, rather than mortar dissolution, oxidation, or runoff which require different material properties and environmental conditions.

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