Erosion is the process by which soil, rock, or dissolved material is removed from one location on the Earths crust and then transported to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distinct from weathering, which involves no movement. There are two main types of erosion: physical or mechanical erosion and chemical erosion.

Physical Erosion

• Physical erosion is the removal of rock or soil as clastic sediment.
• It is caused by natural forces such as water flow or wind.
• Physical erosion often causes rocks to get smaller or smoother.
• Landslides and other forms of mass wasting are associated with physical weathering.

Chemical Erosion

• Chemical erosion is the loss of matter in a landscape due to changes in a rocks chemical composition.
• It occurs when soil or rock material is removed from an area by dissolution.
• Chemical erosion occurs when a rocks chemical composition changes, such as when iron rusts or when limestone dissolves due to carbonation.

Erosion can be caused by natural elements such as wind, water, and glacial ice. Human activities such as intensive agriculture, deforestation, roads, anthropogenic climate change, and urban sprawl are also significant factors in stimulating erosion. Excessive erosion is one of the most significant environmental problems worldwide, responsible for about 84% of the global extent of degraded land. However, there are many prevention and remediation practices that can curtail or limit erosion of vulnerable soils.

Some key terms related to erosion include:

• Sediment: Eroded sediment or solutes may be transported just a few millimeters or for thousands of kilometers.
• Bank erosion: The wearing away of the banks of a stream or river.
• Sheet erosion: The removal of soil in thin, uniform layers.

In summary, erosion is the process by which soil, rock, or dissolved material is removed from one location on the Earths crust and then transported to another location where it is deposited. There are two main types of erosion: physical or mechanical erosion and chemical erosion. Erosion can be caused by natural elements such as wind, water, and glacial ice, as well as human activities such as intensive agriculture, deforestation, roads, anthropogenic climate change, and urban sprawl.