Knowra Erosion Erosion Erosion is the detachment and transport of rock, soil, or sediment by water, wind, ice, or gravity. It reshapes landforms and moves material to new locations.
Hydraulic action : The force of moving water that loosens and removes material from a surface. Water pressure and impact can break rock from riverbeds and coastlines.
Weathering : The breakdown or alteration of rock in place by physical, chemical, or biological processes. Weathering prepares material for erosion but does not itself transport it.
Soil erosion : The removal of topsoil by water, wind, or other agents. It reduces agricultural soil depth and can carry nutrients into waterways.
Gully : A deep channel cut into soil by concentrated running water. Severe water erosion can enlarge small rills into gullies.
Chemical weathering : The decomposition or transformation of minerals through chemical reactions. It changes rock composition in place, while erosion transports material.
Abrasion : The wearing of a surface by friction with particles or other material. Sediment carried by water, wind, or ice grinds against exposed rock.
Deposition (geology) : The settling or accumulation of transported sediment. Deposition is the endpoint of transport, rather than the removal of material.
Coastal erosion : The wearing away and retreat of coastlines through waves, currents, and other processes. It threatens shorelines, habitats, and structures as sediment is removed.
Badlands : A rugged landscape of sparsely vegetated ridges and gullies shaped by erosion. Rapid runoff on erodible ground carves the characteristic terrain.
Biological weathering : The breakdown of rock by organisms or their activities. Roots and organisms loosen material, but transport is a separate process.
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