Tutorial:Erosion

SASSA Home Page &#8658; Soil / Sediment Tutorial Home Page &#8658; Weathering & Erosion

Processes of Weathering and Erosion
Sediment is derived from its parent material by the processes of weathering and erosion.

Weathering is the process by which rocks and sediments are broken down in-situ by chemical, physical, and biological agents.

Erosion is the process by which soil sediments and weathered rock particles are transported from one place to another. The main agents of erosion are water, wind, gravity, ice, tectonic and volcanic activity, biological organisms and man. In most situations sediments or rocks are weakened by weathering before being eroded.

Understanding patterns of past and present erosion can aid archaeological interpretation of site formation processes, site preservation, and former land use and management.

Choose from the list below to find out more about specific weathering and erosion processes or follow the forward links at the bottom of the page to be guided through the tutorial.


 * Weathering processes
 * Water erosion
 * Wind erosion
 * Mass movements
 * Ice erosion
 * Tectonic and volcanic erosion
 * Anthropogenic erosion

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