A Force That Moves Mountains

Would you believe salt crystallization is a force that can literally move mountains? Actually, I suppose “erode” is a more accurate term. Mountains on the shores of seas, salt lakes or salty streams are prone to erosion when salt water soaks into them. When the water evaporates the salt it leaves behind crystallizes, prying stone away from the mountain on a microscopic scale. When enough crystallization happens, the face of the mountain slides away. It’s the same phenomenon that causes potholes. Road salt dissolves into solution as it melts winter ice. That salt water creeps into cracks and crystallizes, prying the asphalt apart.