erosions

Erosion refers to the processes by which soil, rock, and other surface materials are worn away and transported by natural agents such as water, wind, ice, and gravity. It is the movement of material from its original location, whereas weathering describes breakdown in place.

There are several main erosional pathways: water erosion includes sheet erosion, rill erosion, and gully erosion; wind erosion involves deflation and abrasion of fine particles; coastal erosion results from wave action; glacial erosion occurs as ice and rock grind and pluck bedrock; mass wasting can also contribute to downslope movement.

Rates and patterns depend on climate (precipitation intensity, wind), soil properties (texture, structure, organic matter), topography (slope steepness), vegetation cover, and land use. Human activities such as deforestation, agriculture, mining, and development can accelerate erosion by removing protective cover or exposing soil.

Impacts include loss of fertile soil, reduced agricultural productivity, sedimentation in rivers and reservoirs, water quality degradation, habitat alteration, and increased flood risk or landslide susceptibility in some settings.

Mitigation focuses on reducing the erosive energy and protecting soil surface. Practices include preserving vegetation, mulching, contour farming and terracing, cover crops, no-till or reduced-till agriculture, windbreaks, riparian buffers, and silt fences or sediment basins on construction sites. Erosion is often monitored with models and field measurements, such as the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and related tools.