Full definition
Since NAND cells have finite write cycles (1,000 to 100,000 depending on type), always writing to the same blocks would exhaust those cells while others remain intact. Two types exist: dynamic wear leveling (only moves data when there is a write) and static (moves even idle data to level wear). The algorithm is transparent to the OS. In recovery, wear leveling complicates analysis: data of one logical file may be fragmented across hundreds of different physical blocks with no obvious order. This is why chip-off SSD recovery is so complex: the controller holds the mapping.
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