It may sound like a nasty disease but do not fear. Frost heaving (or frost heave) is the process by which the freezing of water-saturated soil causes the deformation and upward thrust of the ground surface.
example 2
example 2
As the ground surface is thrust upwards this in turn has an affect on trees, plants, driveways, house foundations and other similar structures.
So what actually is happening…
As the mean air temperature drops in the fall of the year, the surface of the ground will freeze. With the lower air temperatures of approaching winter, the freezing plane slowly penetrates the soil. In a fine-grained moist soil a peculiar phenomenon occurs. At the freezing plane, the water in the soil turns to ice. This is, in effect, a drying action and water in the unfrozen soil beneath moves toward the freezing plane in the same way that water will move from moist soil to dry soil. This water, on reaching the freezing plane, is able to flow through and around the soil particles there and to join the ice crystals above, thus adding to the growth of a lens or layer of pure ice. Pressure is developed so that the ice and soil above it are lifted.
All I really know is that a lot of the roads around these parts are not all that much fun to drive on at the moment. However, as things gradually keep warming up the roads supposedly even out again (well at least until next winter).
