January 13, 2021 Brad Carr, a UW associate research scientist in geology and geophysics, uses the Geoprobe instrument to sample the subsurface in the foothills of the southern Sierra Nevada in California. Carr contributed to a study that was published in the Jan. 12 issue of Geology. The research shows that physical weathering is far more important than previously recognized in the breakdown of rock in mountain landscapes. (Sarah Granke Photo) Research led by the University of Wyoming shows that physical weathering is far more important than previously recognized in the breakdown of rock in mountain landscapes. Because it is difficult to measure, physical weathering has commonly been assumed to be negligible in previous studies.