Agents of Erosion and Mass Movement

Erosion Agent What Happens? Particle Size Velocity Landforms and

Examples









Water
Rill
Erosion
Soil is removed
by water running
through little
streams.
Medium sized to
small
Faster On slopes-

Badlands National
Park
Gully
Erosion
Occurs when
surface water is
trapped in a
stream and
begins to erode
channels in the
ground.
Medium sized Medium paced Anywhere near a
flowing body of
water for
landforms.
Examples are
common in farming
areas.
Sheet
Erosion
Removes soil in
thin layers via
rain and
overland flow.
Decent sized
particle
Quick due to slope Normally on sloped
land. Hills.
Splash
Erosion
When raindrops
first hit the bare
soil and move it.
Small particles
(not packed
together)
Pretty quick, dont
move far.
Any landforms, as
long as there is bare
soil. Examples are
just when it rains
on open freshly
planted soil.
Wave
(Shoreline)
Erosion
Loss of sand
from the beach
or sand dunes
that may be
temporary or
permanent.


Small Decent pased Location is on the
coastline obviously.
Storms are an
example as they
cause a lot of
shoreline erosion.



Glacial





When glaciers
move they take
out large
portions of
Earths
landscape along
with them.
Very large
(Huge rocks and
boulders)
Slow Leave behind
valleys with
waterfalls and or
lakes. These are
common in New
England, and other
parts of the
Northern United
States.



Wind



The wind simply
picks up the
particles and
moves them
elsewhere.
Smaller particles Decent
pace/medium
Areas with limited
precipitation and
high temperatures.
Also landforms
with little
vegetation. An
example is Death
Agents of Erosion and Mass Movement
Valley.



Anthropogenic




Human activity
moves sediment
whether it be
intentional or
unintentional.






Can vary from
small to large
Depends on
activity... can be
fast or slow
Can occur on any
landforms.
Examples are from
drilling, digging,
planting a garden,
or even tracking
dirt on your shoes.