Landscapes & Landforms: Weathering, Erosion, Transportation & Deposition

Erosion is the geological process in which earthen materials are worn away and transported by natural forces such as wind or water. Read this article to learn more.

Weathering describes the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on the surface of the Earth. Water, ice, acids, salts, plants, animals, and changes in temperature are all agents of weathering. Read this article to find out more.

When rain, ocean waves or even wind thrash against a beach or rocky cliffs, they erode away at the Earth and deposits bits or rock, dirt and sand on the ground or into the air, a process called deposition. Read through this website to learn more.

Transportation is the movement of material across the Earth's surface by water, wind, ice or gravity. It includes the physical processes of traction (dragging), suspension (being carried) and saltation (bouncing) and the chemical process of solution. Read through this article to learn more.

Sediment is solid material that is moved and deposited in a new location. Sediment can consist of rocks and minerals, as well as the remains of plants and animals. Read through this article to learn more.

Weathering is the process where rock is dissolved, worn away or broken down into smaller and smaller pieces. There are mechanical, chemical and organic weathering processes. Read through this website to learn more about these different types.

Try this fun experiment to see erosion in action! All you need are some foil pans, some water and some dirt!

Erosion is the transport by wind, water and ice of soil, sediment and rock fragments produced by the weathering of geological features. Sedimentation occurs when eroded material that is being transported by water, settles out of the water column onto the surface, as the water flow slows. Read through this website to learn more about how these processes affect water supply.

Soil is the earth’s fragile skin that anchors all life on Earth. It is comprised of countless species that create a dynamic and complex ecosystem and is among the most precious resources to humans. Increased demand for agriculture commodities generates incentives to convert forests and grasslands to farm fields and pastures. The transition to agriculture from natural vegetation often cannot hold onto the soil and many of these plants, such as coffee, cotton, palm oil, soybean and wheat, can actually increase soil erosion beyond the soil’s ability to maintain itself. Read through this website to learn more about soil erosion and what it means for humans and the environment.