Soil Erosion
Glacier erosion
* natural process by which rock fragments and soil are displaced from
one place to another
In the process of weathering, the fragments are worn away but not
transported.
There are different agents of soil erosion. Here are some of them.
1. Water erosion – occurs when rain displaces the soil on the ground
* the more water flowing, the more soil particles are transported
* steep hillsides are prone to soil erosion
2. Wind erosion – occurs in any area where the soil is not compacted. It
is a natural process that carries light particles of rock and soil and
transport and deposit them in another place.
* Very strong winds can form large, destructive dust storm and blow
away bigger particles of soil.
* Bare land area is more susceptible to erosion since there are no grass
or shrubs to cover the soil
3.
* glacier – a slow-moving mass of ice originating from a buildup of snow
* With their massive size and weight, continental glaciers can weather
and erode significant portions of continents
* mountain glaciers can weather and erode entire valleys
4. Gravity
* gravity – a passive force that moves what has already been loosened
by weathering
* the constant pull of gravity towards the center of Earth is what makes
rocks fall from the mountains and sends the sand to settle at the bottom
of the oceans
Mountains are often surrounded by screes (loose rock pieces fallen from
exposed rock)
5. Erosion caused by living things – contribution of people and animals
to soil erosion
* As population increases, more land has been cleared for different
purposes and make erosion more likely to occur
* Human activities contributing to soil erosion
- gardening, quarrying, house construction
* Some agricultural plants that replace trees can worsen erosioni
- coffee, cotton, soybean, wheat
* Burrowing animals may transport the soil particles they dug up as the
sediments stick to their bodies
https://www.slideserve.com/olinda/weathering

Science Seatwork:
1. How does weathering differ from erosion?
2. How does soil erosion affect the shape of Earth’s
landforms?
3. What are agents of erosion discussed? Be able to
describe each.