Tuesday, June 30, 2009

What kinds of land forms are destroyed and created by erosion and deposition?

Erosion is the process of transport of weathered particles to a new location, while deposition is the process in which these eroded particles are deposited. Erosion is typically carried out by water, air, and gravity. Erosion and deposition destroy some landforms and form some new ones. 


Rocks are typically destroyed by the action of erosion (coupled with weathering). First, the rocks are weathered by a combination of mechanical and chemical weathering and the resultant fragments are transported and deposited in a new location. For example, a river continually weathers and erodes the channel (including the bed), carrying all the fragments along with it. These fragments may be deposited when the river velocity slows down and can result in a geologic formation known as a delta. Similarly, waves cause erosion and result in the formation of beaches. Erosion of fragments by winds may cause the formation of sane dunes. Canyons and valleys are also formed by erosion. Caves and arches are some other landforms produced as a result of erosion.


Hope this helps. 

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