Erosion

EROSION The process by which wind, water, ice, or gravity transports (moves) soil and sediment from one location to another The Grand Canyon was carved by the Colorado River over millions of years

Example of Erosion

Erosion

deposition – process in which material is laid down or dropped sediment – rock & soil deposited by streams where the water current slows down placer deposits – heavy minerals deposited in a river where the current slows down

Stream Erosion vs. Deposition

Erosion Control at a Construction Site

Silt fencing during construction doesn’t necessarily stop all erosion

A drainage channel upstream broke free and caused the soil from the farm land to severely erode into the nearby river

Before and After Erosion Measures

Delta (located in Chesapeake bay) A delta is a fan-shaped deposit of sediment found at the mouth of a river.

Mississippi Delta in a Flood

Alluvial Fan - deposition of the land found where the elevation of the land decreases sharply

Flood Plain floodplain – area along the river that forms when sediment is deposited from a river overflowing its banks

Image of a Dam dam – barrier built to help control flooding and redirect the flow of water

Levee failure levee – a buildup of sediment deposited along a river’s channel to control flooding

Levee failure in New Orleans

Flooding in New Orleans

Hurricane Katrina Flooding