Arrosion

Arrosion is a term occasionally used in geology and materials science to describe a proposed erosion mechanism driven by atmospheric electrical processes and chemical-weathering interactions. The term is not widely adopted in mainstream literature and is often treated as speculative or fictional.

Etymology: The name is a portmanteau of air/atmosphere and erosion, with some authors linking it to arc erosion, though no single origin is established.

Mechanisms: Arrosion posits that surfaces exposed to high-energy atmospheric phenomena—strong electric fields, ionized air, lightning, or abrasive, charged particulates—experience accelerated material loss. The mechanism could involve plasma-assisted chemical reactions, electrostatic adhesion of aerosols, and enhanced mechanical wear, producing combined electrochemical and abrasive erosion beyond wind or water alone.

Environments: Proposed for exposed rock in extreme deserts or planetary regolith with electrical activity, and for engineered surfaces such as insulators or turbines subject to electrical discharges.

Measurement and modeling: Studies would track surface roughness, mineralogical changes, and erosion rates as functions of electric field strength, wind speed, humidity, and aerosol concentration. Models would couple fluid dynamics with wear and electrochemical terms.

Status and reception: The term remains rare and controversial; mainstream work uses abrasion, weathering, and erosion as separate categories. In some speculative or science-fiction contexts, arrosion is used to describe novel erosion regimes in alien environments or advanced materials.