Frost action involves the weathering processes caused by repeated cycles of

freezing and thawing (the “multigelation” of some European writers). Frost

action is thus differentiated from glacial action, which involves the processes
related to moving ice. Frost action is limited to climates in which the
temperature both drops below, and rises above, 32°F (0°C) and can be
described as occurring near the boundary of the cryosphere . The cryosphere
is the cold envelope that encircles the earth (Dobrowolski, 1923, from the
Greek kryos, meaning cold; see articles on Cryopedology, etc.). The
cryosphere is largely at various elevations in the atmosphere, but it is partly
in contact with the lithosphere, especially at high altitudes and latitudes. It is
only in the latter situation, and at points through which the boundary of the
cryosphere fluctuates, that frost action can take place. The intensity of frost
action is largely proportional to the frequency of freeze and...