Earth’s Land The impact of waves, wind, water and ice on the earth’s land is what causes erosion. ci.uofl.edu/tom/photos/ Hawaii/oahu-waves.jpg

How does erosion, with weathering, shape the land? What is erosion? –Erosion is the process by which rock material is broken down and carried from one place to another by moving water, wind, or moving ice. Water causes more erosion on Earth than wind and moving ice combined. Weathering is one way that rocks are broken into smaller pieces.

Sediments on the move Materials carried by moving water are sediments. umrcc/img/sediment.jpg If you sneeze into a pile of dust the little particles fly everywhere, but if you sneeze into a pile of rocks, they will stay put. It takes more force than a sneeze to move those rocks. Winds and water can have enough force to move rocks.

How sediments move? Very small pieces of sediment like mud and clay are picked up very easily by moving wind and water. But they can settle to the bottom of calm lakes or to the ground when the air or water stops moving. Larger pieces of sediment can be carried in a stronger current, like fast moving water. Sediment that can sink to the bottom in a fast moving river must be very large and heavy.

How do the actions of wind and water change shorelines? Waves are driven onto the shore by wind. sustainableresources.pir.sa.gov.au/ pages/land... Along rocky shorelines, sand and rocks carried by the waves break down the rocks and wear them away. This method creates the sand, but also removes it and deposits it in far away place.

How does wind wear down and build up the land? Wind erodes the Earth’s surface by removing sand and silt from one place to another. (have we heard this before?) The sediments that are carried weather the Earth’s surface.

How do glaciers change the land over which they move? Glaciers do move, gravity is the maid force that makes valley glaciers move. space1/maritime.JPG The surface beneath the glacier is changed by the weight of the ice and material carried.

Why is soil important, and how can it be conserved? Soil is the loose rock that covers the Earth’s land surface. iges/terraces3.jpg One way to conserve the soil is to leave plants growing where they are.

Fun Facts The Pacific Ocean’s shoreline erodes at a rate of 3 feet per year.

Works Sited California Department of Education Standards Dennis Images images/Dennis/erosion.jpg Erosion Sevilleta sevilleta.unm.edu/.../ biomes/sand-dunes.gif Sand Dunes Tomasz Cholewo ci.uofl.edu/tom/photos/ Hawaii/oahu-waves.jpg Waves Windows to the Universe &edu=elem Information on Erosion Alum Bay erosion.jpg Erosion Picture Mississippi River Conservation umrcc/img/sediment.jpg Sediment Land Conservation sustainableresources.pir.sa.gov.au/ pages/land... Wind Erosion Buxton Homepage w_photos.htm Wind Damage Montana Homepage space1/maritime.JPG Valley Glacier Soil Center iges/terraces3.jpg Soil Conservation