Types of Soil Erosion There are three main types of soil erosion.

Wind erosion: Wind erosion is the removal soil particles by the force and kineti c energy of the wind. These soil particles are transported and deposited when th e wind energy drops. Water erosion: Water erosion is caused by the kinetic energy of rain falling on the soil surface and by the mechanical force of runoff. Causes of Soil Erosion Land use: Humans play a major role in soil erosion through their use and abuse o f natural resources, for example deforestation, grazing, arable land use, faulty farming systems, high crop intensity, housing construction, mining etc. Climate: The two most important climatic factors having a direct effect on erosi on are precipitation and wind velocity. Other climatic factors have an indirect effect on soil erosion, such as water balance, evapotranspiration, temperature a nd relative humidity. Indirect factors affect the erosivity of rainfall by alter ing the soil moisture regime and the proportion of rainfall that may become surf ace runoff. For erosion control it is necessary to investigate physical characte ristics of rainfall, including the amount, distribution, intensity, energy load, seasonality and variability of rainfall and the formation and course of surface runoff. Soil: The susceptibility of a soil to erosion is influenced by its physical, hyd rological, chemical and mineralogical properties as well as its soil profile cha racteristics. Important soil physical and hydrological properties that affect th e resistance of a soil to erosion include texture, structure, water retention an d transmission properties. Hydrology: Infiltration, surface detention, overland flow velocity, and subsurfa ce water flow are important soil erosion components of the hydrological cycle. T he different types of flow and their velocities may be turbulent or laminar, ste ady or unsteady, uniform or non-uniform and influence the extent of erosion Landforms: Slope gradient, slope length and shape of slope are the important var iables of landform that affect erosion processes for all types of soil erosion, e.g., splash, sheet, rill, and gully erosion.

ozone hole A severe depletion of ozone in a region of the ozone layer, particularly over An tarctica and over the Arctic. The depletion is caused by the destruction of ozon e by CFCs and by other compounds, such as carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and carbon tetrafluoride (CF4). The amount of ozone in ozone holes is about 55 to 60 perce nt of the normal concentration in the ozone layer. Although the full effect of i ncreased ozone depletion is not yet known, the amount of ultraviolet radiation t he Earth receives is greatly increased by ozone depletion, creating a heightened risk of skin cancers and likely contributing to global warming. See Note at ozo ne.Gravity erosion: Mass movement of soil occurs on steep slopes under the influ ence of gravity. The process involves the transfer of slope-forming materials fr om higher to lower grounds due to self weight.

Definition : a region of marked thinning of the ozone layer in high latitudes, c hiefly in winter, attributed to the chemical action of CFCs and other atmospheri c pollutants. The resulting increase in ultraviolet light at ground level gives rise to an increased risk of skin cancer . Nearby words : oz. , ozocerite , ozokerite , ozone hole ozone , ozone laye r , ozone sickness

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans and groundwater). Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directl y or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful c ompounds. Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water. In almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to individual species and popu lations, but also to the natural biological communities. Contents [hide] 1 Introduction 2 Categories 2.1 Point sources 2.2 Non point sources 3 Groundwater pollution 4 Causes 4.1 Pathogens 4.2 Chemical and other contaminants 4.3 Thermal pollution 5 Transport and chemical reactions of water pollutants 6 Measurement 6.1 Sampling 6.2 Physical testing 6.3 Chemical testing 6.4 Biological testing 7 Control of pollution 7.1 Domestic sewage 7.2 Industrial wastewater 7.3 Agricultural wastewater 7.4 Construction site stormwater 7.5 Urban runoff (stormwater) 8 See also 9 References 10 External links