How a steady drip-drip can erode the hardest stone

Nature2026年8月6日正文已收录本站
  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Measuring the deformation of a surface hit by a falling droplet offers insights into water’s erosive power.

A close-up of water droplets splashing on a stack of small rocks in a garden

Scientists have uncovered one of the mechanisms by which water droplets can erode stone. Credit: Frank Hoekzema/Alamy

How do water droplets erode rock over time? New research suggests that every droplet that hits a solid object acts as a tiny hammer, repeatedly damaging the surface in the first milliseconds after impact1 .

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-02360-4

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