Due to rock moister, are dry rocks more brittle than wet rocks? Like, for instance, the rocks on Mars without much moisture there, would they fundamentally act differently that the rocks here on Earth, simply due to moisture content?
In: Earth Science
The effects of moisture on rocks very much depends on the type of rock. If it’s porous like sandstone or limestone then it will become denser from absorbing it and possibly explode if exposed to high heat.
In regards to brittleness, water has very little to do with it as it’s based on the strength of the bond between particles in the stone. If there’s water soluble minerals then it can definitely weaken it, but those are very rare since water likely had already been through it (at least on earth)
There is a slight effect that water can have on rocks that break concoidally (aka like glass). Water filling any voids in the stone can allow cracks to propagate more easily. This trick is used by flint knappers to make some rocks easier to work with when making arrow heads/knives
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