What are different types of erosion and how do they work?

Question

Aubrey Arnold · Accepted Answer

Soil erosion occurs due to ice, wind, water, or gravitational forces

Water erosion: a. Raindrop splash erosion: Raindrops fall at a rate of more than 9 meters per second. When they strike bare soil, they turn it into a flowing mud; the splashes can be seen more than 60 centimeters high and 150 centimeters away. When soil is covered with plants, however, the raindrops do not fall at the same rate. b. Surface flow erosion: Runoff moves soil particles; in a level area, this movement is not readily visible; in an inclined area of concern, erosion and deposition effects are visible. c. Channelized flow erosion: water flows across the surface of the area, concentrating in low spots to cut deeper channels; further flow creates miner channels (rills), which can be followed by majör rills and sizable gullies. Wind erosion: winds segregate dry humus, clay (0.002 mm in effective diameter), silt (0.05 mm in effective diameter), and sand (less than 2 mm in effective diameter). Some studies developed equations to predict soil erosion via wind triggered by traffic or material handling operations, but I won't provide them here. Wind erosion can occur if soil is dry, weakly aggregated, bare, and smooth. Ice erosion is the process by which large amounts of soil are deposited in low-lying areas of the ground due to the melting of glaciers. Glacial till is the term used to describe the unsorted, unstratified materials that are left behind after glaciers melt. These materials include sand, gravel, clay, silt, and boulder-like materials. Gravity erosion: A material known as colluvium is subject to the gravity-driven movement of weathered rock debris and sediments downslope. This movement can be either slow (solifluction) or rapid (mudflow). Some of this type of activity happens in conditions that are relatively dry.

Samuel Albin · Answer

undefined Different types of erosion include water erosion (caused by rainfall and rivers), wind erosion (resulting from the movement of air), ice erosion (associated with glaciers), and gravity erosion (caused by the downslope movement of rock and soil). Water erosion works by washing away soil particles, wind erosion lifts and transports loose particles, ice erosion shapes landscapes through glacial movement, and gravity erosion involves the gradual downhill displacement of rock and soil.