Some geologists propose haloclasty, a process of salt crystallization

Question

Some geologists propose haloclasty, a process of salt crystallization responsible for the weathering of rocks, as an explanation for the specific weathering pattern observed on the Egyptian Sphinx. This explanation is rejected by some other geologists who hold the opinion that the type of weathering evident on the Sphinx enclosure walls, along with that on the core blocks of the Sphinx and Valley temples, could have only been caused by prolonged and extensive rainfall and hence date the construction of the Sphinx back to the 6th or 5th millennium BC.

Which of the following, if true, provides the best support for the assertion that the weathering on the Sphinx could not have been due to haloclasty but instead due to extensive rainfall in the area?

A. The geologists who oppose the haloclasty theory for the weathering noticed on the Sphinx accept that it may be responsible for the weathering noticed at many places on the Giza plateau.

B. Many geologists have concluded that haloclasty does not account for the absence of a similar weathering on other rock surfaces in the Giza pyramid complex, which were cut from the same limestone beds as the Sphinx.

C. Certain other studies have shown that the erosion observed on the sphinx was indeed driven by moisture derived from atmospheric precipitation such as dew, which ultimately led to the process of haloclasty.

D. The weathering caused by haloclasty should have operated evenly on all exposed limestone surfaces of the Sphinx whereas the erosion observed indicates that the weathering is particularly evident on surfaces that would have been especially vulnerable to heavy downpour.

E. Many geologists agree that the peculiar horizontal bands observed on the Sphinx were not caused by haloclasty but by wind erosion.

rosalynd · Answer

So some geologists are saying that salt crystallization, called haloclasty, caused the weathering pattern on the Sphinx in Egypt. But other geologists say that the weathering on the Sphinx and surrounding structures could only have been caused by lots of rainfall over a long time, and that the Sphinx is much older than people previously thought.

The question is asking which answer best supports the idea that the weathering on the Sphinx was due to rainfall, not haloclasty.

Answer D is the best choice because it says that the weathering caused by haloclasty would have affected all of the exposed limestone surfaces evenly, but the Sphinx actually has more weathering on certain parts that would have been hit harder by heavy rainfall. The other answers don't really support one side or the other.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Some geologists propose haloclasty, a process of salt crystallization

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Some geologists propose haloclasty, a process of salt crystallization

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