Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition

Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition

We are studying the slow changes to the Earth's surface. These processes include weathering, erosion, and deposition.

Weathering is the process of natural forces breaking down rocks into smaller pieces. Some of the causes of weathering include: moving water, ice, wind, plant root growth, burrowing animals, and temperature changes.

Erosion is the process which the broken pieces are transported, or moved, from one place to another. Some of the causes of erosion include: moving water, wind, glaciers (ice), and gravity (avalanches).

Deposition is the process of moved particles being deposited, or dropped off, in a new location. This process creates new land forms such as flood plains, deltas, sand dunes, and beaches.

Although we talk about weathering, erosion, and deposition as three separate processes, they often occur together. Over time, rocks are generally broken into smaller pieces (weathering), carried downhill (erosion), and deposited in a new location (deposition).

Here are some games to help further your understanding of WED:

WED Jeopardy

Shape It Up