Gravity, Water, Wind, and Ice shape Earth’s surface. Erosion & Deposition Gravity, Water, Wind, and Ice shape Earth’s surface.

Vocabulary Erosion is the process of weathered particles being picked up and moved from one place to another. Deposition is the part of erosion when sediment is placed in a new location. Mass Wasting is the downhill movement (due to gravity) of large amounts of rock and soil.

Erosion & Earth Erosion is constantly changing Earth’s surface. Over millions of years, weathering wears down mountains and erosion removes the mountain sediment and deposits it in other places.

Erosion Relay We know that Earth’s surface in always changing. This relay race will show a small example of how this happens. Each team has one of Earth’s mountains made out of legos. Each team member need to break down a piece of the mountain, crab walk it over across the room and drop it off on your team’s opposite desk.

Natural Forces Move and Deposit Sediment Erosion occurs in 4 major ways: Gravity Water Wind Ice

Gravity can move large amounts of rock and soil. Gravity plays a major role in erosion. Gravity pulls rock and other material downward. Earthquakes and heavy rain loosen soil and rock. Gravity causes water to move downward, carrying and depositing sediment. Gravity pulls ice down mountains. Gravity causes dust carried by wind to fall to the ground.

Water erodes & moves sediment. Rain and melting snow flow down land and carry rock and soil pieces. Rain and snow make their way to a river where they deposit more sediment on the river bottom, banks and mouth. Ocean waves deposit sediment on beaches and coastlines.

Wind erodes & moves sediment. Strong winds can carry dust particles long distances in the air. Wind can also push sediment pieces along the ground.

Ice erodes & moves sediment. As ice moves slowly downhill, the ice moves rock and soil pieces that are frozen inside of it and around it.

Gravity: Landslide in El Salvador

Gravity: \Mudflow in Washington state.

Gravity: Mudflow

Gravity: Rockfall/slide in Colorado.

Gravity: Slump in North Dakota

Gravity: Creep

Gravity: Creep in Oregon/Wyoming

Water: Streams - Canada

Water: Streams

Water: Valleys - Alaska

Water: Valleys Norway

Water: Sandbars - Australia

Water: Sandbars - Florida

Water: Barrier Islands – North Carolina

Water: Barrier Islands – New York

Water: Caves - Kentucky

Water: Caves - Iceland

Water: Waves – Great Britain

Water: Waves – California

Wind: Dunes – Namibia, Africa

Wind: Dunes – Sahara Desert

Wind: Loess - China

Ice: Glaciers

Ice: Glaciers - Alaska

Internet Activity “Shape It Up” http://sciencenetlinks

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