Does Charge Movement in Minerals Drive Landscape Evolution? (CRACK)

Fracturing and subsequent erosion of bedrock is the key geomorphic process that creates sediment and shapes landscapes; it thus plays a key role in the evolution of Earth’s ecosystems. The key question is what is the main cause of fracture in rocks and silicate minerals - the current assumption/view is that it results from environmental stresses induced by heat/moisture, and is therefore, driven by climate. Based on an assimilation of recent ideas in three disparate disciplines viz., geomorphology, solid-state physics and mechanics, I make the bold, unconventional proposal that large changes in the localised internal energy in minerals due to escape of electrons from defects triggers fracture propagation. The key result will be a new understanding of fracturing in rocks based on charge movement. While this research directly addresses the important field of landscape evolution, it will significantly impact areas as diverse as carbon and nuclear waste storage problem, fluid flow (oil and water), and predicting earthquakes.