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Erosion
Changing the Surface of the Earth with Water, Wind and Ice



Look at the photo above. Have you ever wondered why certain landforms look the way that
they do? How can that rock be teetering on such a fragile base? Why doesnt it tip over and
what will happen to it in the future. Erosion played a key role in creating such a unique
landform. Read the rest of the article to learn about the many ways erosion changes the
surface of the earth every day.


What is erosion?

Erosion is the wearing away of the land by forces such as water, wind, and ice. Erosion has helped to form many interesting
features of the Earth's surface including mountain peaks, valleys, and coastlines. Erosion changes the landforms on the
surface of the earth by picking up sediments and moving the sediments to a different location.


The picture to the left
shows how running water
has carved a deep trench in
the hillside. As the water
slowed, it deposited
sediment it had picked up
as it ran across the surface
of the earth.
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What causes erosion?

There are many different forces in nature that cause erosion. Depending on the type of force, erosion can happen quickly or
take thousands of years. The three main forces that cause erosion are water, wind, and ice.


Erosion by Water

Water is the main cause of erosion on Earth. Although water may not seem powerful at first, it is one of the most powerful
forces on the planet. Here are some of the ways that water causes erosion:

Rainfall - Rainfall can cause erosion both when the rain hits the surface of the Earth, called splash erosion, and
when raindrops accumulate and flow like small streams. The streams will begin to pick up dirt and other sediments
depositing them in gutters and streets.









After a heavy rainfall, water
formed small streams that
ran down the side of this
hill. Deep grooves can be
seen in the side of the hill
where fast moving water
eroded away parts of the
hill.
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Rivers - Rivers can create a significant amount of erosion over time. They break up particles along the river bottom
and carry them downstream. As rivers flow over the same area they begin to carve away the riverbed, creating
deeper rivers and even canyons. One example of river erosion is the Grand Canyon which was formed by the
Colorado River.

As rivers begin to slow down, the sediments that they have picked up begin to drop out of the water. The sediments are
deposited. The Mississippi River is a good example of how sediments are collected as the fast moving river crosses the United
States. When the Mississippi River reaches the Gulf of Mexico, the speed of the river slows causing it to deposit sediments.


The Colorado River has
carved its way through rock
to form the Grand Canyon.
After millions of years of
erosion, the river has
snaked its way through the
layers of rock leaving
beautiful rock formations.
The satellite image to the right shows
where the Mississippi River flows into
the Gulf of Mexico. The murky brown
water shows where the sediments the
river has collected are being deposited
at the mouth of the river. As the
Mississippi River hits the Gulf of
Mexico its water speed slows,
allowing it to deposit sediments,
creating a delta.
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Waves - Ocean waves can cause the coastline to erode. The shear energy and force of the waves causes pieces of
rock and coastline to break off, changing the coastline over time. The coastline eventually gets worn down as the
water constantly wears away at the rock and dirt.


Floods - Large floods can cause erosion to happen very quickly acting like powerful rivers. As flood waters move
over land, the rapidly moving waters pick up sediments such as dirt, rocks, boulders and even roadways. The water
carries these sediments and eventually deposits the materials when the flowing water begins to slow down.




Fast moving flood
waters can pick up
dirt, rocks and even
larger objects. As
rapidly moving flood
waters move over
land they have been
known to pull apart
roads, knock down
trees and even carry
cars downstream.
Beach houses are in danger of
erosion. As waves crash on the dirt
cliffs next the ocean, rocks and dirt
begin to slide down the side of the
cliff. Eventually the cliff will be
eroded so much that the house will
fall down the side of the cliff.
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Erosion by Wind

Wind is a major type of erosion, especially in dry areas. Wind can erode by picking up and carrying loose particles and dust
away (called deflation). It can also erode when these flying particles strike the land and break off more particles (called
abrasion). It is similar to a sandblaster or sandpaper. As the particles of sand hit the surface of a landform, it is worn away
and becomes a smooth surface. In some cases the rock may become weak, and eventually parts of it may fall apart.




Erosion by Glaciers

Glaciers are giant rivers of ice that slowly move carving out valleys and shaping mountains. Glaciers move very slowly because
they are so large. Because of their size, glaciers are able to move large rocks and boulders. When the glacier begins to melt,
the rocks and boulders are deposited in the area that the glacier melted.



Arches National Park is home to some
of the most beautiful rock formations,
all created by erosion. The formation
to the left is called Delicate Arch for
good reason. Years of wind erosion has
worn away at the sandstone causing it
to weaken and crumble, leaving behind
a beautiful rock formation.
Slow moving glacier carve deep,
wide valleys as they move
through mountain ranges.
Glaciers are able to pick up large
rocks and boulders and move to
other locations.
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Other Forces
Living organisms - Small animals, insects, and worms can add to erosion by breaking up the soil so it is easier for the
wind and water to carry away.
Gravity - The force of gravity can cause erosion by pulling rocks and other particles down the side of a mountain or
cliff. Gravity can cause landslides which can significantly erode an area.
Temperature - Changes in temperature caused by the Sun heating up a rock can cause the rock to expand and crack.
This can cause pieces to break off over time and lead to erosion.
How have humans caused erosion?

Human activity has increased the rate of erosion in many areas. This happens through farming, ranching, cutting down forests,
and the building of roads and cities. Human activity has caused about one million acres of topsoil to erode each year.

Erosion Control

There are things that can be done to limit the amount of erosion caused by human activity. This includes planting trees around
farmland to protect it from the wind, moving herds of animals around so that grasslands will grow back, and planting new
trees to replace the ones cut down. On beaches, humans can install fences to reduce sand being blown away by wind. Humans
can also build walls to reduce the effects of wave erosion and gravity erosion.




As glaciers melt, they leave behind the
rocks and boulders they have been carrying.
The image to the left show a large in
Canada that has been deposited by a
glacier millions of years ago. Notice how
large the boulder is compared to the
people. What does that tell you about the
power of a slow moving glacier?
Tall grasses have been
planted and a fence
has been installed to
reduce the amount of
erosion due to blowing
wind and sand.
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Interesting Facts about Erosion
The word erosion comes from the Latin word "erosionem" which means "a gnawing away."
Scientists estimate that the Colorado River has been eroding the Grand Canyon for many millions of years.
Wind erosion can cause huge dust storms.
The fastest glacier ever moved over seven miles in three months.
Fossils in sedimentary rock are often uncovered by erosion.